Transformers Titan: Sourcebook
by kira444
Summary: An in-depth look into the world and characters of Transformers Titan.
1. Introduction

Transformers Titan

Sourcebook

Introduction

Hello friends! Welcome to the Transformers Titan Sourcebook, your guide to the many important characters and story elements in the Titan universe. Styled after the old More Than Meets the Eye Guidebooks and the recently released Hasbro Heroes Sourcebooks, this fic is an effort to not only describe the many characters personalities and abilities, but also the world in which they live in to better explain the various settings and elements that appear in Titan.

The Sourcebook is divided into sections based on each book, assembled in the suggested reading order. In each section are the settings and story elements that appear within said book with the characters being at the end. It's been hell organizing all of this info into an order that's comprehensible, but I've managed to create a solid guide to better flesh out the Titan universe for years to come. And I think you guys deserve a little specific info on how things are in Titan.

I'm proud of the end result, and the work put into something I never thought I'd be doing just two years ago. It's been fun writing Titan, fleshing out the characters, their relationships and introducing new elements into the series to make everything more lively, but grounded within the TF mythos. I hope you all like reading this as much as I loved writing it.

The best part about writing material for this is that I've only lost a couple of years off my life span doing it. Totally worth it.

TF nerd extraordinaire,

Kira444


	2. Section 1-Awakening

Section-1: Awakening

This is the first section of the sourcebook that deals with the characters and elements introduced in the first book of Transformers Titan-Awakening. Awakening is our first step into this new universe and has a lot to offer in terms of people and settings. This was my first story posted on this site and I was a mess trying to plan everything because I thought that unless everything fit perfectly, none of it was good enough to read. I've mellowed out somewhat, but that fear still plagues me.

In Awakening, the Autobots and Decepticons are at war on Cybertron, and in a desperate bid to find new sources of energy, Optimus Prime leads a strike team to the stars aboard the Ark to find an energy source that could win them the war. But interference from Megatron and his flagship, the Nemesis, causes both teams to be flung across the galaxy to a distant world, where they crash land and enter stasis. Four million years later, a year after the Bots and Cons awaken from their stasis, three human children discover an escape pod harboring six Minicons and reignite hostilities between the warring cybertronians on their planet-Terra. Not only do the Autobots and Decepticons have to deal with each other vying for control of Terra and its resources, but they must also combat rouge humans seeking to harvest them for world domination and near god-like living statues that seek to wipe them out for some non-descript offense done to them. As this new stage in the Great War enters a new phase, the War for Terra, the cybertronians learn that there is more to Terra than meets the eye.


	3. Cybertron

Cybertron

Cybertron is a giant metallic planet that is the homeworld of the Cybertronians, a race of mechanical beings able to convert their physical forms between robot mode and various alt forms. Orbiting the star Hadeen (Known as Shaula of the Scorpius constellation for Terrans), Cybertron is a world the size of Terra's neighbor Saturn. Composed almost entirely of metallic ore of varying properties, Cybertron possesses a light oxygen-based atmosphere suitable for the cooling needs of mechanical based life as well as most carbon-based life forms.

Cybertron has two moons. The inner moon, Epistemus, is the larger of the two, while the outer moon, Solomus, is smaller than its twin. Each moon has its own atmosphere and their density leads them to have a level of gravity similar to Cybertron itself. Both moons are home to the Minicon population and are considered states in their own right.

The interior of Cybertron is as poorly understood by existing scholars as the planet's origins. Underneath the surface is a complex system of tunnels and machinery that also plays home to the various subterranean creatures who have not seen the light in eons. At Cybertron's core is Vector Sigma, the life-giving supercomputer that is the source of all life on Cybertron.

Being a machine world, Cybertron is completely metallic, with varying landscapes and ecosystems. Large swaths of land that aren't inhabited by the futuristic cities of its intelligent inhabitants are untamed wilderness composed of vast metallic plains that go on as far as the eye can see, with mountains so tall they can block out the sun. These continental plates are separated by deep, jagged chasms that reach deep into the planet, the deepest being the Sonic Canyons. Cybertron has water, but not in great abundance and most of it is gathered in the planet's only body of water, the Mithric Sea. This is not to be confused with the Sea of Rust, which is an area of unstable planetary matter and molecular flux.

Cybertron's territory is traditionally broken down into large, self-governing city-states that follow the lead of the head government based in Iacon. These city-states are:

Iacon

Nova Cronum

Praxus

Altihex

Protihex

Uraya

Rodion

Helix

Tesarus

Nyon

Hydrax

Harmonex

Thetacon

Stanix

Tarn

Kaon

Vos

Styx

Mytharc (Slaughter City)

Simfur

Kalis

Yuss

Ky-Alexia

Petrex

Tetrahex

Ultirex

Ultrix

Galaxxon

Carpessa

Bitrex

Peptex

The denizens of the planet Cybertron are among the most powerful and gifted life forms, mechanical or otherwise, in the known universe. Possessing the ability to convert their bodies into different forms for the purposes of disguise, warfare, infiltration, and countless other uses, their potential only limited by their imagination.

The Cybertronians are the dominant life form on this planet; intelligent mostly humanoid robotic beings who have quickly become the most advanced race on Cybertron. They live in city-states located across the planet, from the moderately swell regions in Iacon to the less mech-friendly Badlands that harbor some of the worst working conditions for a mechanoid there is. Thanks to their transformation ability, they have quickly adapted to Cybertron's ever changing environment. Their main form of government is a planetary senate consisting of representatives from each city-state and the ruling Prime who oversees the planet's defenses.

Though Cybertron is inhabited mostly by its intelligent dominant citizens, the Cybertonians, other forms of life also exists in Cybertron's wilderness. Despite having little in the way of animal life, the mechanimals that roam the unpopulated areas of the planet are numerous and also have the ability to transform, which is a crucial element of Cybertronian life. These mechanimal species can range from the nimble Turbofoxes and equine Thunderhooves to the elegant Deatheagles, vicious Pneuma-lions and the Alloygators. Cybertron's mysterious underground network is also home to its fair share of critters, many very dangerous than the life above ground. Here, the infamously metal eating Scraplets call the deep caves their home, often clashing with the semi-intelligent Insecticons over territory.

The standard Cybertronian begins life as little more than an embryonic mass of partially formed circuits: a protoform. Protoforms are formed from sentio metallico, the living metal of Cybertron. Newborn protoforms initially resemble simple geometric shapes such as circles or cones, although they quickly develop more defined features through a process known as "deep-coding" in which the Spark acclimates to the body. Within a few hours, the protoform will even begin to take on extra features related to their future alternate modes. Cybertronian protoforms are stored in stasis pods filled with a nutrient gel that nurtures and protects the fledgling circuits. Before protoforms were nurtured like this, all Cybertronian life spawned directly from Cybertron itself, maturing from protoform to adult on its own without the aid of machines.


	4. Cybertronian

Cybertronian

The Cybertronians area a race of mechanical beings from the planet Cybertron. They are alternative known as Transformers, a designation that stems from the species' generally shared ability to transform; to change their forms at will, shifting from a robotic (mostly) humanoid primary mode into an alternate form; generally vehicles, weapons, machinery, animals, etc.

They are living, intelligent, emotional and full functional mechanical life forms. Their robotic bodies mimic the basic functions of the organic body; power lines act as arteries and veins, bundles of cables and wires were nerve endings, thick metal rods with jointed sections acted as bones, and armor plating for skin. Their bodies are composed of a form of living metal known as Sentio Metallico that has similar properties to organic material. Cybertronians are granted life through a soul-like Spark residing within their mechanical forms.

All Cybertronians are born with the ability to convert their physical forms into at least one alternate form by rearranging their component parts. New alt modes are acquired via built-in sensors that scan existing machinery (or non-intelligent life forms) and reformat their forms accordingly. Most mechanoids have only one alt mode, but some have a genetic disposition that allows them to take on more than one alt mode-these individuals are known as triple changers. This ability to transform is made possible by the Transformation Cog, or T-cog, which is the organ that allows for not only the transformation from robot mode to alt mode, but also allows the mechanoid to scan new alt modes and reformat their malleable bodies into new forms.

Cybertronians are generally large in comparison to most organic species, with the average Cybertronian standing around two-eight times the height of a standard humanoid, though they can be much larger or smaller. Minicons are the smallest of the species, standing no bigger than a human child, while the legendary Metrotitans, living fortresses, are colossal in size.

Cybertronians are technically asexual in nature, though they divide themselves into two distinct catagories based on how they process information. After taking a greater role in the galactic community and making contact with gendered aliens, they began incorporating gendered pronouns into their culture to demonstrate that they recognize and celebrate difference among themselves while maintaining their equality.

All Transformers naturally created through two methods: Forged or Budding. Forging is the natural way for Cybertronians to be created. An energy pulse from Vector Sigma would flash across the world, igniting a hot spot where new Sparks would emerge from the planet. There would be great rejoicing and ceremony, and the Sparks and base substance-the sentio metallico-would be sought out and harvested from the living metal of Cybertron and its moons. The Spark and sentio metallico develop into a semi-humanoid protoform which develops into a fully developed Cybertronian. Forged alt modes also grow during this maturation process. The full nurturing and maturation process can be completed in less than two weeks after the Spark's first flash.

Budding is another method that was recently discovered not long after the Exodus of Cybertron. Bubbles and lesions of liquid metal form on a mechanoid's chest, accompanied by an energy discharge. The process grows more intense, until a large mass of liquid metal bursts free from the chest and slowly forms into a protoform, which undergoes its own two week maturation process. This process is random and cannot be replicated, and the two mechanoids in question are genetically different from each other, despite being born from one another.

Cybertronians require energy to power their life functions and their primary source of fuel is energon. Cybertronians are dependent on a steady flow of energon to survive, making fuel consumption a focal concern in their society and its conflicts. They can consume other sources of energy and survive for long periods of time without energon is essential for their continued survival.

As a race, Cybertronians are fairly hardy. Despite this, they are still vulnerable to damage from combat, such as laser fire, edged weapons and other self explanatory dangers. Some Cybertronians are more or less resistant to these attacks than others, but more physical weaknesses are judged against the baseline of an average mechanic. Most damage is not fatal to a Cybertronian outright; even dramatic system damage can eventually be repaired. It takes a sustained and immense amount of damage to permanently extinguish a Spark, although it is certainly not impossible. Any damage that affects the subject's neuro-circuits is capable of off-lining that Cybertronian permanently, the destruction of a brain module is uniformly fatal.

A Cybertronian's repair systems can heal any minor damages that the mechanoid may suffer in battle, but major wounds like missing limbs or components must be operated on immediately in order to be replaced. This is done through a process called reconstruction, in which non-living metals and plastics are introduced to the body. The surrounding systems break them down, rebuilding them into cybermatter and integrate them into the larger mechanism. Through this, missing components are replaced from basic gears to missing limbs, replacing them with foreign matter and converting it into living circuitry.


	5. Energon

Energon

Energon is the primary fuel source for all of Cybertron's inhabitants. The power source exists in raw form throughout the planet, although it has become far less plentiful throughout the course of the Great War.

Energon can exist in a solid crystalline form as well as a liquefied form as well. The crystalline form is typical of naturally occurring energon deposits; this raw, unprocessed energon can be damaging to Cybertronians if they are exposed to excessive quantities of it. These energon crystals are also extremely unstable and have great explosive properties. Furthermore, these raw crystals interfere with scanning equipment and communications transmissions (although line of sight infrared transmissions can overcome the deficiency). The liquid-based form is typical of processed energon, which is not dangerous to Cybertronians in large quantities, but does maintain its explosive properties. Other natural energy sources can also be converted into processed energon, though the process is often time-consuming, even with large refinery machinery.

Cybertronians can ingest energon in different fashions; they can refuel through receptacles in their alt modes, directly through their robot mode's consumption orifice (or through ports located underneath mouth plates), or activate ambient absorption circuits throughout their forms.

Certain weaponry uses energon as more than just its power source; these "energo-weapons" directly convert energon into weaponry enhancements. Primarily, these are edged or blunt instruments as opposed to ranged weapons such as guns. Examples include the energo-sword wielded by Grimlock and Acee's twin rapiers. These weapons have an energon powered fuel cell that allows them to project an energy field around that weapon that enhances for example, the blade's cutting properties. Once the fuel cell is drained, the weapon remains usable for standard attack, without the enhancing properties of the energon-created force field.


	6. Autobot

Autobots

The Autobots are one of two warring factions in the conflict known as the Great War. They represent the highest ideals of Cybertronian principles and fight for the preservation and equality of all life-Cybertronian and organic.

The Autobots found their origins in a time of social unrest. Cybertron was locked in a stagnate state of totalitarianism and corruption, and was slowly spiraling into chaos. Other races, upon seeing how the Cybertronians worked day after day in a monotonous, unchanging pattern, called them "Autobots", which was short for "Automaton". A police officer turned revolutionary Orion Pax took this racial slur and rephrased it into "Autonomous robots", individuals owned by no one by themselves, masters of their own future. Thus, the Autobots were born, and they grew overtime, starting out as a security force under Zeta Prime. They didn't become a proper army until Orion Pax found the Matrix and became Optimus Prime.

Though Optimus was the commander-in-Chief, he shared his command with some of his most trusted warriors-many of whom were more seasoned in combat and leadership. This included Ultra Magnus (captain of the Elite Guard), Ironhide (Chief of Security), and Warden (Founder of the Wreckers). Others like Prowl and Elita-1 held regional command in Prime's place.

As the war spread to the stars, the Autobots act in defense of the many inhabited planets targeted by the Decepticons. In order to negate any outside interference, the Autobots act covertly, monitoring the native population for any sign of Decepticon activity. These pocket wars often lead to secret battles that don't even involve direct contact, rather it is the disruption of the Decepticons' plans to cause social and economic unrest among the native species.

Ideology

Autoboot ideology centers around the principles of equality, freedom and peaceful coexistence. They believe that freedom is the right of all sentient beings, and that it is the duty of all intelligent races to spread this peace to all corners of the galaxy. They fight to the death to protect these ideals for the innocent and strive to fix the mistakes that previous leaders have made in the past. Upholding these ideals, as well as believing in them, is what it means to be an Autobot.


	7. Decepticon

Decepticon

The Decepticons are the dark counterpart to the benevolent Autobots. The iron-willed Megatron manipulated a festering hatred to forge the Decepticons into an army, preying on the dissatisfaction with the current regime to orchestrate a revolution that evolved into Cybertron's most destructive war.

The Decepticons found its origins in the phrase "you are being deceived", a line from one of Megatron's most popular essays, Towards Peace. He was a star of the illegal gladiatorial games, providing a platform to start attracting like minded mechanoids to his cause. He stroked their dissatisfaction with the ruling senate, claiming that it's their fault they are mocked and ridiculed by other races. He rebelled against the senate and their ideals of functionism, measuring a bot's worth by what they change into instead of their personal skills. His charismatic speeches swayed hundreds, then thousands to join his cause. Megatron named this clandestine organization "Decepticons", a nod to the famous line that many had adopted as their rallying cry long before Megatron took up leadership. It was a name that summed up the hypocrisy and corruption of the Cybertronian government.

Decepticon creed, as espoused by Megatron, was simple. He stated that Cybertronians had lost the honor and glory that once made them great during the Golden Age, and that the only way to get it back was to show the rest of the galaxy their superiority and inherent power. Particularly effective was Megatron's rhetoric on their genetic superiority to other races, especially those organic in nature, and preached that as inferior life forms, they were destined to be conquered by them.

Megatron attracted an elite cadre around himself to serve as his inner circle. Chief among his command unit were Nightshade (first lieutenant), Shockwave (chief scientist), Starscream (aerospace commander) and Soundwave (communications officer). As the Decepticon insurgence went from an underground movement into a full-fledged military coup, these Decepticons aided Megatron and became the most powerful individuals under his command, but that doesn't mean that they were the only strong warriors in the Decepticon ranks.

As the war began to bleed to other worlds, Megatron created a strict infiltration protocol that all Decepticons follow to the letter-a carefully staged process of destabilizing and conquering inhabited planets. The staged conquest is highly secretive, with soldiers under strict orders not to break cover until late in the process. The initial phases involve the infiltration of a planet's society and gathering of intelligence, which is used to target places and people of interest. Then they agitate pre-existing conflicts and ignite "international hotspots" by using facsimiles-artificial duplicates of key members of the planet's native population, equipped to duplicate the original's actions, memories and personalities, but programmed to serve the Decepticons' interests. In later phases, the operation enters siege mode, through which the Decepticons drop their cover and now actively fight any resistance, Autobot or otherwise, they encounter. The sixth phase involves the invasion of the destabilized planets on the brink of collapse and the elimination of any possible resistance, and during this phase, extremely powerful Decepticons known as Phase Sixers were deployed with only one job in mind-execution.


	8. The Ark

The Ark

The finest spacecraft in Cybertronian history, the Ark was originally conceived as part of Optimus Prime's plan to assist the Autobots in exploration, locating new energy sources for them to utilize as a means of ending the war before it caused irreparable damage to Cybertron. Construction of the Ark was vastly slowed by the escalation of the Autobot/Decepticon conflict, and the resultant scarcity of resources. Despite these limitations, the design team (headed by Wheeljack, Huffer and Grapple), were ordered by Optimus to hold out only for the highest quality components and equipment.

Tragedy struck on the Ark's maiden voyage when it was attacked by the Decepticon Warship-the Nemesis-while going through a space bridge. The collision of the two ships as they passed through the bridge caused it to overload and send both ships across the galaxy, flinging them into the orbit of prehistoric planet Terra. The Ark and Nemesis crashed on Terra, and the ships, along with its contents, remained largely undisturbed for 4 million tears before being reawakened in the year 2006.

Technical Specifications

The Ark is a gigantic craft, with enough space, equipment and quarters to accommodate approximately 300 personnel, though it was designed to be manned by a significantly smaller crew. In addition to living quarters and recreational space, the Ark has advanced engineering and medical bays. It utilizes a hyperdrive for interstellar transport, allowing it to use wormholes to cross vast distances in a fraction of the time needed for physical space travel. Its hangar bays can accommodate several shuttles.

Despite its primary function being transportation, the Ark is not without its offensive capabilities. Being a vanguard-class ship, it sports a large array of weaponry-16 particle combustion cannons (port). 16 laser emitters (starboard), primary starfield missile launchers and overshock sonic batteries.

Teletran-1

Perhaps the Ark's greatest asset is its on-board computer, Teletran-1. It is a supercomputer with unmatched logical reasoning and analytic capabilities. It can also serve as a communication station with a range of 3000 miles. It's also capable of piloting the Ark in place of an actual pilot, but only on a preset course, intricate maneuvers must be done manually.


	9. The Nemesis

Nemesis

The Nemesis was intended to be the flagship of Megatron's burgeoning Decepticon space fleet; somewhat larger that it's Autobot counterpart, the Ark, it was still on the most massive spacerafts constructed during its era. Although it utilized hyperspace technology for space travel, the weapons-laden Nemesis was primarily used as a siege engine during its time on Cybertron. Large numbers of troops would disembark to swarm over Autobot targets, while the craft itself would bombard strong points from above. There are rumors that the Nemesis was in fact the reverse-engineered corpse of the monsterous being known at the Gojulas, which had attacked Iacon in the first few days of the Great War, but no evidence has supported this claim.

The Nemesis is capable of comfortably accommodating approximately 200 cybertronians, although it can be crewed by far fewer. It is designed to maintain maximum combat efficiency with a minimal crew and most of its controls are centralized so that they can be controlled directly from the helm if needed.

In terms of armament, the Nemesis far outshines the stockier Ark; the Decepticon craft as a fully armed array of laser cannons, heat beams, missile launchers and anti-personnel weapons, among others.


	10. CR Chamber-Stasis Pods

CR Chambers/Stasis Pods

CR (cryogenic regeneration) chambers are a relatively new advancement in Cybertronian medical technology. They can heal remarkable amounts of damage, making them capable of reviving stasis lock or worse.

The base principle of the CR chamber is deceptively simple. They have their own increasingly advanced nanotech to assist in repairs, but they primarily operate by boosting a Cybertronian's natural healing process. By replacing the wounded mechanoid in suspension, the chamber allows that bot's internal regeneration circuitry to focus solely on repairs. The chamber senses which sections are the most badly damaged and directs the mechanoid's own internal processors to focus on those areas instead of merely initiation general maintenance; the chamber thus focuses and supercharges the regeneration circuitry, allowing repairs to take place up to hundreds of times faster than they would otherwise. Although they were common use during the war, their high energy consumption and delicate technology limited their use to starships and ground-based facilities.

The origins of the CR chamber also tie into the Stasis Pod; stasis pods are primarily used to store newly forged protoforms after they take shape and mature into fully functional mechanoids. They keep the protoform in total isolation, supported and nurtured by lubricated fluid. Because of their ability to keep a Cybertronian dormant with minimal energy loss, stasis pods have also been employed to conserve resources, such as storing crew members during extended space flight. Their ability to maintain docility and dormancy has also led to their use in Cybertronian prison and detention systems.


	11. Space-Ground Bridge

Space/Ground Bridge

Created from alien science and technology, the space bridge is a form of interplanetary transport, allowing cybertronians to move from one planet to another almost instantaneously without the need of a spacecraft via a "shortcut" through interdimensional space.

Space bridge technology had been stolen and reverse-engineered from the Quintessons during their occupation of Cybertron, and they in turn had stolen it from an unknown source. After the second Cybertrionian war (cybertron/quintesson conflict), space bridges were completed with seven in total forming a ring around Cybertron. They allowed cybertronians to colonize whole worlds, ushering in the Golden Age. Early models required machinery at both ends of the bridge to open a stable dimensional portal, but later iterations of the technology consisted of a bridge at the departure point, which could open a bridge to the desired location without the need of a receiver on the other. Despite their prevalence during the Golden Age, space bridges required large amounts of energy to remain open and could only be used for short periods of time. With the advent of infectious Rust Plague, all but one of the space bridges were destroyed to keep the plague from reaching Cybertron.

That last remaining space bridge would later be rebuilt by an Autobot repair team at the direction of Alpha Trion and used to transport the Ark on its maiden voyage. But just as it was passing through the portal, a collision with the Nemesis caused the space bridge to overload and fling both ships across the galaxy to prehistoric Terra, wiping the bridge out of existence in the process.

Ground bridge

A scaled down version of the space bridge, a ground bridge allows transport to a coordinate on a single planet or even (with great difficulty) into the planet's orbit. Considerably easier to maintains and less costly in energon to operate, it is the primary means of coordinate Autobot forces on alien worlds.


	12. Minicons

Minicons

Minicons are a race of diminutive cybertronians native to Cybertron's two moons; Epistemus and Solomus. Minicons are the smallest among the cybertronian race, standing around the average height of organic life forms. Despite the physically fragile nature of the average Minicon, each possess an internalized well of power that can greatly enhance the abilities of anyone tapping into it, through a process known as powerlinking, allowing them to act as a sort sentient battery. Some Minicons can also transfer special powers and abilities like super-speed or invisibility to their powerlinked partners.

Though members of the cybertronian race, Minicons were widely regarded as second-class citizens bythe larger population. They were seen with distrust due to the urban myth that Minicons were covert spies for the current government at that time, the senate. It wasn't until the Great War that Minicons were seen as something else-weapons. Their ability to enhance and grant powers drew attention from Autobots and Decepticons alike, further withering away their individuality. Most neutral Minicons formed the Micron faction and built a spaceship, the Exodus, to leave Cybertron and the escalating war, but a malfunction had caused the ship to crash into the surface of Luna, the front half flying into the orbit of the planet Terra. The Minicons onboard survived the crash, escaping in stasis panels that were fired all over the world, where they lay dormant until a trio of human children reactivated them after 5 million year stasis-igniting Autobot and Decepticon hostilities on the planet.

Powerlink Process

The Powerlink process (known as powerlinx in cybertronian slang) is a catchall term for power upgrades among cybertronians brought about by merging with a Minicon. The term is primarily used to refer to the process by which Minicons bond with and enhance the abilities of a larger cybertronian (Bulk). This ability has always been with the Minicon race, but it was only recently discovered in the middle stages of the War for Cybertron by Megatron, who sought to capture and enslave as many Minicons as possible to increase the power of his troops. The Autobots, after learning about this, began taking Minicons into protective custody.

Targetmasters; Minicons who transform into weapons who could comingle the power of their own Sparks with those of the bots who carried them to wield incredible destructive power. Such Minicons were very rare, and were highly sought after by both sides.

Minicon Gestalt Program

Tensions ran high between the Minicons and their larger cousins, with the former slowly losing their freedom and individuality as the war dragged on. Eventually, a secret military program spearheaded by the Microns was implemented using combiner technology stolen from the Autobots. The purpose of the project was to create a gestalt defense force against any and all Bulks who wished them harm and initiated the creation of gestalt Targetmasters of great power. This led to the creation of the Minicon gestalts Centurion and Heavy Metal, with the combined targetmaster weapons, the omni-saber, skyboom shield and hydra cannon.


	13. Combiners

Combiners

One of the most powerful weapons developed during the Great War, combining technology was based on the principle of joining several troops together and multiplying their power beyond the sum of heir parts. Decepticon leader Megatron initially commissioned his chief scientist Shockwave to develop the process, experimenting on the Constructicons to create Devastator, the first-and most feared-of the gestalts. The secrets of the process were part of the escalation in military technology on both sides as the war progressed, with the Autobots developing their own combiners and the Minicons using their own variations of the technology based on stolen research from the Autobots.

Not all Cybertronians are suitable for the combiner process; during Shockwave's initial period, many unfit mechanoids were driven insane or rendered permanently inoperative. Much like the triple changers, there must be an inherent predisposition that's encoded within the candidate for the process to be a success. Once a group is selected that matches the qualifications for physical and mental combination, their combiner gene is activated, reformatting their bodies to combine into a unified robot form. Physically, the combined forms are designed to maximize the energy output of all the components; this leads to gestalts that are far more powerful than the sum of their parts might imply.

Although the impressive physical properties of the gestalts are well known, the details of their mental unification are more poorly understood. It is known that the individual minds are submerged into a single unified personality; however, this personality is generally limited in its cognitive and creative abilities by what the team members can subconsciously agree upon.

It is rare but possible, for a gestalt to have its own highly intelligent and well developed personality, but this only occurs in cases when the team's attitudes, attributes and goals mesh (Ex. Include the Street Action Team's Centurion). Most of the time, gestalts are the victims of their fractured personalities, making them unstable and dim (like the Constructicons' Devastator and the Aerialbots' Superion).


	14. Terra

Terra

Terra is the third planet in the Sol system. It is home to a large diverse ecosystem of organic creatures, the dominant species being humanity and their esper offshoots. Following the crash landing of the Ark and Nemesis in Terra's prehistoric era, this planet has become a focal point of contention between the Autobots and Decepticons since their reawakening.

Terra is a spheroid-shaped terrestrial planet with a diameter of 10026 km, an orbital speed of 101,326 km/h and an axial tilt of 26.3 degrees. Formed roughly 5 billion years ago along with the rest of the solar systems, Terra is the only planet in the system that can naturally support life, with two-thirds of the planet consisting of water and the remaining percentage being physical landmasses. Terra's only natural satellite is its moon; Luna.

Terra has seven continents, each of which are divided into various countries. These seven continents are Delpoi, Azteca, Europa, Usea, Libya, Nyx and Antartica. These seven landmasses are separated by seven bodies of water; the Deldaros ocean, Florecio ocean, Zerros ocean, Andar sea, Daras ocean, Sheed ocean, and the Akua sea. Aside from continents there are also a number of smaller islands dotting the world's oceans, inhabited to varying degrees.

Terra is a world rich in natural resources, which would make it a primary target for Decepticon invasion. Its most abundant resource is hephaestium. Discovered in ancient times, hephaestium is a natural energy propellant that burns hotter than coal and is triggered by the exposure of energy to its prismatic composition. It serves as a power source for over half the technology on Terra, from airships to Talos, though other energy sources are also employed. It is found in its raw crystalline form and can be processed into a fine powdered form distributed commercially. The downside to hephaestium is that it is highly combustible in both forms if violently handled in high temperatures.

 **Continents**

 **Delpoi** \- A continent entirely within the northern hemisphere and almost all within the western hemisphere. It is the third largest continent by area, following Usea and Libya, and fourth in population after Usea, Libya and Europa. It embraces a very climatic zone. Subartic and tundra climates prevail in north Canadia and north Alaska, and desert and semiarid conditions are found in internal regions cut off by high mountains from rain-bearing westerly winds. However most of the continent has temperate climates very favorably to settlements and agriculture. Prairies or vast grasslands cover a huge amount in mountain is home to the Helic Republic, a democratic country composed of 50 states, each governed by a senator and the affairs of state are overseen by the President of the executive branch of government.

 **Azteca** \- A continent also in the western hemisphere, mostly in the southern hemisphere. It ranks fourth in area (after Usea, Libya and Delpoi) and fifth in population (after Usea, Libya, Europa and Delpoi). Azteca is located near the equator, which owes its abundance of flora and fauna. Its climate is in the 70s-high 90s all year round and 90% of its land is covered in rainforests, which hold 30% of the world's animal population. Azteca has several sovereign states that form the Aztek Federation with its own military force.

 **Europa-** A continent that comprises the westernmost part of Emmeria, the combined continental landmass of Europa and Usea. Land relief in Europa show great variation within relatively small areas. The southern regions are mountainous, while moving north the terrain descends from the high Alps through hilly uplands into broad, low northern plains which are vast in the east. An arc of uplands also exist along the northwestern seaboard. Politically, Europa is divided into about fifty sovereign nations of which Arcadia and Dalmasca are the largest and most populous. Most of these countries, including the Britannia Empire (which is separated from Europa) are a part of the European Union, a coalition of nations in western Europa.

 **Usea-** The world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres and shaping the continental landmass of Emmeria with the continent of Europa. The continent, which has long been the home to the majority of the human population, was the site of many of the first civilizations. Usea has extremely diverse climates and geographic features. Climates range from artic to subartic in Sato to tropical in southern Sapin and southeast Usea. It is humid across southeast sections and dry across the interior. The monsoon circulator dominates across southern and eastern sections due to the presence of the Himalayas drawing in moisture during the summer via thermal low. Usea is divided into 48 countries, two of them (Dalmasca and Brasnya) having part of their land in Europa. The largest countries in Usea are Xing, Sapin, Joesun and Yuktobania.

 **Libya-** The world's second largest and second most populous continent. Libya is a rainy and dry place; because of its geographical situation, Libya is a hot continent as the solar radiation intensity is always high. Thus, warm and hot climates prevails all over Libya, but the northern part is mostly marked by aridity and high temperatures. South Libya has a transition to semi-tropical or temperate climates and more desert or semi-arid regions. Libya contains 54 fully recognized sovereign states, which are joined together in the nationwide Libyan Union.

 **Nyx-** The smallest of the seven continents. Nyx is located in the southeastern hemisphere, near the equator. Nyx's climate is mostly arid, semi-arid or tropical. Much of the northern and central areas are covered in prairies, bordered by small mountain ranges and deep valleys full of large plants. Thanks to seasonly rainfalls, Nyx is a predominantly fertile land that is also known for having large amounts of hephaestium in underground cave systems that tunnel under most of Nyx's surface. In Nyx, nature rules. Due to some odd form of Darwanian evolution, much of Nyx's fauna were exclusive to that region of the world, and had evolved to become what many would call fantastical; Griffons, Hippogriffs, Dragons, Pegasi, even Hippocampi. Creatures that look more like amalgamations of pre-existing species than newly evolved creatures. Here, predators grow tremendously and possess powerful physical abilities strong enough to demolish tanks and Talos. It is their presence alone that deters humans from fully settling on Nyx.

 **Antartica-** Terra's southern most continent. It contains the geographical south pole and is situated in the Antartic region of the southern hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antartic circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Sea. As the fifth largest continent, Antartica is covered by ice that averages 1.9 km (s.2 miles, 6,200ft) in thickness. Antartica is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and has the highest elevation of all the continents. The continent has about 90% of the world's ice (and thereby about 70% of the world's fresh water). If all this ice were melted, sea levels would rise about 60m (200ft). There are about 135 permanent residents, but anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 people reside throughout the year at research stations scattered across the continent. The rest of the population are native animals such as mites, nematodes, penguins, seals and tardigrades.


	15. Espers

Espers

Espers are an off-shoot subspecies of humanity who are born with genetic abnormalities which grants them abilities, appearances or powers beyond the normal variation expressed by the human genome. While their appearance, abilities, and attitude towards their evolutionary cohorts varies wildly, all espers possess a so-called "meta-gene" which expresses itself around puberrt and causes the individual's esper power to emerge.

While records of espers on Terra appear as early as 5000 years, the esper population did not grow to significant numbers until the early 20th century. Esper births, however, began to increase throughout the 20th century (presumably due to environmental factors such as industrialization). The second world war saw the emergence of espers as soldiers as various members of the species fought in Axis and Ally armies. The WWII era also saw the beginnings of programs such as the Cadmus program. Esper births steeped upwards at the beginning at the end of the war (following the bombing of Arcadia's capital city Archades).

As esper populations grew, human governments and populations reacted harshly to them, and the espers began to have wildly divergent ideas on how best to live within the larger human society. Professor Leesa Kujo Sumeragi founded the Providence Foundation to promote human-esper cohabitation and research esper powers. The powerful esper Dreyas Lehnsherr and his family reshaped the activist group Karaba into a terrorist organization with anti-human goals.

All espers have a genetic mutation called a meta-gene that causes their bodies to develop abilities that regular humans are unable to. The majority of these espers develop these abilities, which vary from person to person, usually upon puberty, though there are espers who display powers and/or physical mutations from birth or in their adulthood. Some espers even display abilities from within the womb.

Esper powers vary seemingly without limit. Examples include: telepathy, telekinesis, flight, energy projection, accelerated healing, and enhanced physical strength, speed, agility, or sense; all to variable limits. Some espers simply develop physical mutations that entail minor alterations in physical appearance from the normal human-wings, gills, tails, fur, altered skin color, etc. these powers grow and increase as the individual grows and develops. Some powers remain latent until activated y severe stress or remain unnoticed throughout the person's lifetime, while others are apparent from birth. Some individuals even have secondary powers which activate under unknown circumstances, usually during adulthood. For some espers, several years of self-discipline are needed before they can control their powers, while others never gain full control at all.

Esper may be born to human or esper parents, though the odds of an esper birth are much better for the latter. Likewise, it is rare but possible for esper parents to have human parents. Esper children born to esper parent(s) will not necessarily have the same power(s) as their parent(s) or any sibling(s) they may have. However, examples of children with the same power(s) as their parent(s) or sibling(s) are not uncommon.

Many people harbor prejudicial attitudes about espers. They do so for a variety of reasons, including bigotry and xenophobia (particularly aimed at espers with non-standard appearances), jealousy of their natural superpowers and fear of being replaced or rendered by extinct by the so-called next stage of human evolution. Anti-esper sentiment often leads to mob violence and the alienation of espers from society. Friends of Humanity is perhaps the best known and most infamous of anti-esper hate groups, known for attacking even other humans for supporting espers. At the same time, some espers believe their species has a right to rule over ordinary humans, called Naturals, simply by the virtue of being more genetically advanced. The esper terrorist group Karaba embodies this notion, leading a crusade on all humans for supremacy of the planet.


	16. Talos

Talos

Talos are humanoid combat machines employed by the humans of planet Terra. They are the descendants of the ancient Golem automatons used by the ancient Arian Empire. Talos are used by the majority of the First World nations' armed forces in a ranch of military known as the Mobile Armor division/ there are a large variety of Talos ranging from civilian construction units to heavily armed units employed by various police forces, militaries and even well financed terrorist organizations.

The origins of the Talos go back all the way to the Industrial Revolution, a time when human society was becoming more advanced and nations all over the world were creating new innovations to increase their power and status on a global scale. The most elusive machine to properly control was the golem, large robots found in nearly every ancient civilization across the planet. Nations all over the world have tried to unlock the secrets of the Arian Empire and their technology, but none were as dedicated to the task as the Britannia Empire.

Britannia sought to discover a way to control the golems using various methods; from pumping steam into the limbs to (out of desperation) magic. Each attempt ended in failure, and their last attempt, charging the golem's hephaestium core with electricity, caused a massive golem to go berserk and rampage across London. Seeing how little progress they were making in controlling the golems, scientists decided to take a different approach-creating their own. Thus they used what they learned from previous studies and merged that with the current technology at the time to create a machine based on the golem's design, one that could be piloted by humans. Their work led to an amalgamation of a golem and a tank to create the world's first generation Talos-the mecha tank.

The mecha tank was essentially a humanoid Talos torso mounted on tank treads. Large and slow, the Talos proved themselves during the First World War that they were both strong and hard to destroy. These Talos joined the combat theater of mechanized warfare alongside tanks and armored vehicles. Talos would be revolutionized by the Helic Republic with the arrival of second generation bipedal units. These bipeds were slow as they relied on mechanical and hydraulic propulsion, but they proved to be more than a match for their predecessors. Their general utility and ability to cross various terrains while retaining combat effectiveness gave birth to second generation.

The advent of bipedal Talos had changed the world forever, advancing Talos combat and further increasing the Talos' modular capabilities. Despite this, first generation Talos still remain in military service, often acting as support units or composing the bulk of a country's Mobile Armor Division because they're cheep. Whatever their shape or form, Talos have become entrenched in human society and warfare. And it all started with the golems.

Talos are human operated walking machines that magnify the strength and mobility of a soldier or civilian worker, while also providing protection from military and environmental threats. Unlike financial designs in which weapons were integrated into limbs, the Talos is a multi-purpose machine, able to duplicate all the functions of the infantry soldier. But while quite a lot of Talos are humanoid in form, a number of Talos, particularly those in the construction sector, are designed to suit the task. Most are similar in dimension, regardless of purpose and stand between 4-8 meters tall.

All Talos follow a fundamental design, a humanoid robot with two arms, two legs and a head that acts as a main camera (with military models possessing Vulcan cannons on the sides of the head). Its control system allowed it to be operated by a single pilot in concert with a computer, and a cockpit is installed in the torso near its center of mass. The cockpit was windowless, relying on three directional TV screens for visibility. The machine's arms are controlled by two joysticks with finger rests that manipulate the fingers, and the legs are actuated by foot pedals, which amplify on a larger movement ratio. Due to the confining spatial envelope around the feet and legs of the pilot, the pedals cannot move in long strides, even on a scale relationship. Instead they sense the force and direction of the input and the onboard computer triggers the corresponding movement of the legs.

The power source for the Talos was initially diesel piston engines and were later upgraded to high-efficiency gas turbine engines. The Talos can operate at medium power for up to eight hours on a full fuel load.


	17. OZ

Oz

The Organization of the Zodiac, also known as OZ, is a secret human organization that exists within the shadows of society. Although they appear to be an international club for wealthy elites, their clandestine Inner Circle seeks to influence world events in accordance with their agenda.

OZ counts among its members the most famous, wealthy, and influential members of society. Membership can be passed down onto descendants and can also be earned thorough wealth or influence. In fact, the purpose of OZ is to obtain and exert power through politics and economic influence instead of outward conquest and domination. Since its foundation, OZ has been involved in wars and assassinations to further the agendas of the group's most powerful members.

OZ has branches in nearly every major continent and country, including New York City, London, Joseun, and Zane; the various branches are all overseen by the Zodiac and their lord commander, the White Queen. Unbeknownst to most members is the organization's Inner Circle. It is composed of the true guiding force behind OZ's operations.

The main goal of the Inner Circle is a mystery. Though they seek to rule the world through subterfuge, they claim to be doing this for the sake of furthering humanity's evolution as a society and a species. They seek to achieve this through rigorous research into advanced science and/or mysticism, willing to use natural or artificial means to help mankind "ascend". This goal of theirs is known as the Grand Plan, and they will go to great lengths to achieve this goal, and are not afraid of using force to get what they want.

The organization is set up in a rigid hierarchy based on power and influence, and overall usefulness to the cause. The White Queen, OZ's overall leader and possible founder, oversees all of OZ's operations from a secret base known only to the leader of the Zodiac, the thirteenth Zodiac Ophiuchus. Below her are the Zodiac, a cabal of thirteen generals who act as field agents for the Queen, working on multiple fronts and commanding the organization with authority surpassed only by the Queen herself. Most of the Zodiac are espers, and they all possess superhuman abilities not related to their powers.

The Zodiac are the leaders of OZ's Inner Circle, high ranking OZ members ranging from CEOs, politicians and nobles to scientists and trained warriors. They alone know of OZ's true goals of ruling the world from the shadows and aid the Zodiac with anything at their disposal. The rest of OZ is composed of members who simply enjoy the group's benefits and are unaware of OZ's position as anything more than a modern day Hellfire Club.

OZ also has its own private army at their disposal. They employ ban army equipped with the latest in technology and weapons, some of which are still considered to be prototypes in the main armies of the world. Everything from weapons to vehicles to Talos are manufactured by companies allied with OZ, among them being MARS Industries. Soldiers are trained extensively in most forms of combat, and lately are taking part in anti-cybertronian combat and weapons development.


	18. Dolems

Dolems

The Dolems are a race of living statues that hail from a planet that has long since been lost to the annals of time. They are a powerful but mysterious race that came from the very edge of the Milky Way galaxy, from a region in space where no one has explored yet in current history. Worshipped as gods in many alien cultures, their exact nature and origins are currently unknown, but few can deny that they've left a prominent, if clandestine, mark on the galaxy at large.

Little is known about the Dolems, as there are few opportunities to study them, and fewer chances of survival after an encounter with one. What little information gleaned about them comes from the repeated conflicts between the Dolems stationed on Terra and the warring Autobots and Decepticons; Dolems are silicon-based organisms, sporting stony skin over a twisted musculature of organic crystal. Their appearance varies between "classes", and only a handful of them have humanoid features. Little is also known about their technology, but from the races that have seen Dolems in action in a space environment describe Dolem technology as a mixture of science and mysticism.

Dolem society is structured in a sort of hierarchy based around a hive mind. How this hierarchy is structured depends on what type of "clan" they are a part of. The Dolem clan hibernating on Terra, known as the Laguna, have appearances similar to the angels of human mythology; they have smooth marble like skin, layered with gold armor and are named after human virtues and attributes. They are ranked into Spheres, the higher the sphere the greater their intelligence. Their rankings from lowest to highest are this: third sphere, second sphere, first sphere, Cardinal and Dea. Whether this is true for all Dolem clans is unknown at this time, but one thing that these clans do have in common is that they are all centered around a queen. These queens, who are the most powerful of the species, are also the only ones capable of creating new Dolems from their bodies. The queen has absolute power, and is the focal point of the Dolem's operations-they carry out her will as extensions of her mind and body. Unfortunately, as they are important to the continuation of the Dolem species, killing a queen is essentially a death sentence for a clan.

Dolem technology is not so much as built as it is grown. Their vehicles and weapons sprout from various minerals and ore that are locally produced by their bodies or the planet that they are living on. For interplanetary travel, they use large mobile fortresses that look like comets etched with stylized markings of that particular Dolem clan, and their weapons channel energy to increase their power and grant their user certain abilities. At the heart of this technology is a regenerating mineral known as Dust; it acts in a way similar to the mechanical components of a machine, different colored crystals that are seen as the physical embodiment of nature. Red Dust creates fire and heat, yellow Dust generates electricity, blue Dust creates water; together different types of Dust can form a complex system upon which most of their technology is powered.

Another notable feature is the Dolems' immense power. The more intelligent Dolems exhibit strange powers that many primitive races would deem as magical. These powers vary widely and are one of the reasons that Dolems are so difficult to fight. According to previous encounters with higher ranked Dolems, their powers are the result of their manipulation of a mysterious energy source called quintessence. Not much is known about this energy other than that it is similar to dark matter in that conventional science cannot detect it, but it can be felt on all planets, particularly planets that harbor life. This energy is not infinite and the Dolems need to absorb quintessence after using large amounts of it to fuel their powers.

Dolem psychology can be best described as archaic. They have a single-minded purpose to conquer and assimilate all cultures in their line of sight. Dolems seem to think of themselves as gods, believing that by taming the foci of life itself, they have achieved a level of divinity many have only dreamed of. They see themselves conquering worlds as a way of spreading that divinity with other races, molding them to worship only their queen. Some clans even alter various species in the form of "gifts" in return for eternal loyalty. In the eyes of the Dolem, they are gods, and any who dare try to steal their power will meet a fate worse than death.


	19. Characters-Autobots

Characters-Autobots

Optimus Prime

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Leader

Birthplace: Iacon, Cybertron

Bio: Forged in the fires of revolution, and pitted against the greatest threat in Cybertronian history, Optimus Prime is the epitome of the Autobot ideals of courage, virtue and integrity. Strong, wise and utterly unswerving in his quest to conquer evil and protect life in all its forms, his legendary leadership has forged the Autobots into a mighty force for justice and liberty. A great strategist, inspirational and calm thinker even in the heat of battle, the only thing Prime lacks is a ruthless edge, the ability to truly fight fire with fire. But his capacity for mercy, for looking for the best in everyone, is what makes him who he is.

Abilities: Optimus Prime possesses extremely high levels of strength and endurance compared to other Cybertronians of his stature. He is well-versed in Cybertronian weaponry, usually carrying an ion blaster that fires condensed balls of ionized plasma, each blast with an explosive force equal to approximately 3000 lbs of TNT. For melee combat, he wields an energo-axe.

As a Prime, Optimus holds within him the Matrix of Leadership, a sacred relic said to have been wielded by one of the Thirteen Primes. He holds the Matrix in his chest cavity located behind his Spark chamber, literally protecting it with his life. Though the Matrix grants Optimus incredible power, it only does so in times of great need, remaining inactive when it is not activated.

* * *

Prowl

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Military analyst/strategist

Birthplace: Praxus, Cybertron

Bio: As Optimus Prime's second in command on Team Prime, Prowl as occasionally taken overall charge of the Autobot forces, but prefers his place at Prime's side. Logical, resourceful, and patient, Prowl is the perfect military strategist. It takes an awful lot for him to blow his cool. Sometimes though, it makes for a certain distance on a personal level and a lack of flair and imagination on a professional front. Educated guesses and lateral thinking are not his forte and sometimes he really can't see the forest for the trees.

Abilities: Prowl has above-average strength, but his strongest attribute is his exceptional intelligence. He possesses one of the most well-developed logic centers there is, and he's got an amazing capacity to catalog information, from classic battle tactics to political etiquette. Prowl can analyze what's going on in the battlefield and come up with a counterattack in no time. He's armed with two optional shoulder mounted wire-guided missile launchers and a gun that fires electrically charged energy blasts or corrosive acid pellets.

* * *

Jazz

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Special operations agent

Birthplace: Iacon, Cybertron

Bio: Jazz is the Autobots' stylish guide to the myriad cultures of their temporary home planet, Terra. While Prowl serves as Optimus Prime's primary military advisor and second in command, it is Jazz who Prime turns to when the Autobot leader needs one to think creatively. Jazz knows the intimate details of the past cultures he's encountered, but the varied fashions of Terra's ever changing popular culture fascinates him the most. Beyond his scholarly interest, Jazz just intuitively "gets" things and assimilates quickly. This innate adaptability and cosmopolitan bent make him a versatile special agent who always pulls of dangerous missions with a characteristic flair.

Abilities: Jazz is extremely intelligent and skilled. He is an expert in sociology, history and culture. He wields a photon rifle and shoulder mounted flamethrower. He also wields a pair of laser nunchucks that connect into a long bo staff that has enough blunt force to shatter metal like glass.

* * *

Bumblebee

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Espionage

Birthplace: Iacon, Cybertron

Bio: Far from being a drawback, Bumblebee's diminutive size is his greatest asset. He goes where no others can, stealthily evading sensors and alarms designed for intruders much bigger and brasher, making him an ideal choice for covert ops/insertion missions. Wisecracking, brash and sometimes overeager, Bumblebee is nevertheless cool and collected in a tight spot, seeing options and possibilities where none readily appear. If there's a weakness, it's that in command situations he tries a little too hard, overcompensation for his lack of overall stature.

Abilities: Although small and physically weak, Bumblebee is one of the most fuel-efficient Autobots, able to function on miniscule amounts of energon for twice as long as the next most-efficient comrade. His skills as a spy are impressive; his non-threatening appearance, visual acuity and overall stealth make him an excellent infiltrator. He is also outfitted for underwater operations at great depths.

* * *

Ironhide

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Security

Birthplace: Praxus, Cybertron

Bio: Ironhide's been there and back more times than he can remember or care to admit. He's the oldest of Team Prime aside from Ratchet, but he's still the feistiest by far. Ironhide prefers to communicate his intentions through actions rather than words, and he can't abide by those "young punks" who talk good game but never follow through. Time has taken its toll, and he's seen better days physically, but Ironhide is still renowned for his toughness and determination. Never one to back from a challenge or exhibit fear, he's still capable of showing up any Autobot upstarts who dismiss him as just some old relic.

In addition to overall security, Ironhide acts as a bodyguard to Optimus Prime and anyone who's threatened by Decepticon violence. He does so, not just because of his formidable defensive skills, but also because of a deeply held desire to safeguard all life-Cybertronian, human and otherwise. Ironhide attempts to his softer side with his crotchety demeanor, but his friends aren't fooled.

Abilities: Ironhide possesses great physical strength and above average intelligence. His super dense steel skin is lined with radiation dampeners, making him nearly invulnerable to physical and radiation-based attacks. Although his whole body is armored, it is most heavily concentrated in his front section. He is equipped with two arm-mounted cannons, a radial missile launcher with ten "smart" plasma-hot warheads and a fission chamber powered by a compact solar accelerator.

* * *

Ratchet

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Medic

Birthplace: Iacon, Cybertron

Bio: Skilled in everything from full repair-bay operations to battlefield "patch and weld", chief medical officer Ratchet hide his own deeply caring nature behind flippant one-liners and a taciturn nature. He knows that his effectiveness would be compromised should he allow himself to get too close to those he may simply not be able to save one day. He is, however, a consummate professional –resourceful and utterly committed to saving lies. Ratchet all too often sees the full, terrible cost of war.

Abilities: Ratchet is highly intelligent and his skills as a durgeon and doctor are unmatched. Only a lack of materials or time constraints can hinder him from achieving anything he sets out to do. He is fully versed in all Cybertronian physiology as well as that of humans and other alien species he's encountered. He is equipped with assorted medical equipment including laser scalpels, arc welders, electrical sensors, diagnostics and more. The laser scalpels can be used for offensive purposes, but aren't very powerful. In combat situations, Ratchet usually opts for a standard laser rifle to make up for his lack of inherent firepower.

* * *

Wheeljack

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Mechanical engineer

Birthplace: Nova Cronum, Cybertron

Bio: Fully earning his reputation as a "mad scientist", Wheeljack fiddles with a dozen projects at one his workshop, mumbling and chuckling to himself about each one-even when they blow up in his face, which they sometimes do. Team Prime loves having him with them, not only do his experiments frequently yield useful innovatons, Wheeljack's also a positive, good-natured mech who is fun to be around. He loves to show off his skills as a stun driver and warrior or his newest creation, it doesn't matter-and those abilities have garner him the respect of both allies and enemies.

Abilities: Wheeljack has above-average strength and great intelligence. He is an extremely skilled engineer and has expertise in most of the practical sciences. He is equipped with two shoulder-mounted cannons that can fire a variety of shells, new types of which he is always inventing. Options include a magnetic inducer that causes its metallic target to attract other metallic objects, a shrapnel needle shell that bursts into millions of hair-thin, razor sharp filaments capable of shredding through armor, and a gyro-inhibitor shell that disrupts its target's balance center. He is also an adept driver, capable of extremely challenging offensive and defensive maneuvers.

* * *

Bulkhead

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Demolitions

Birthplace: Nova Cronum, Cybertron

Bio: Bulkhead looks huge and menacing, but is actually quite careless and gentle-souled. Though he's no brainiac nor a fast runner, Bulkhead is one of the most sturdy members of Team Prime. He's afraid of hurting things smaller than him, but his time on Terra has helped him grow past that. He has low tolerance for jerks and bullies, and is quite happy to let people like that stew in the trouble they've made for themselves, but his better impulses-or at least needling from those around him-always sway him into helping in the end. For all his sweetness, he's still a Wrecker through and through. Yet despite participating in several major battles and campaigns, his past career has left some painful psychological scars. Being a part of the Autobots' black-ops team means you have to do the dirty work, and Bulkhead's seen many horrors and friends meet a bad end. Though saddened by his traumatic experiences with the Wreckers, he's still willing to fight alongside Optimus Prime to end this war for his comrades in both past and present.

Abilities: Bulkhead is one of the physically strongest among Team Prime, possessing above average strength and very dense armor. He specializes in close range combat, wielding a pair of titanium wrecking balls built into his hands which, with his immense strength, can shatter steel with incredible force. He is also equipped with a laser blaster built into his arms for long range combat, courtesy of Wheeljack's upgrades.

* * *

Arcee

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Autobots

Occupation: Warrior

Birthplace: Ky-Alexia, Cybertron

Bio: A former security officer on Cybertron before the Great War, Arcee is the least physically imposing of Optimus Prime's crew, but she's also one of his most reliable soldiers, his go to gal when he needs someone he can count on. Whatever she lacks in physical form, she more than makes up for it in personality. She's tough as nails at all times, always ready with a snarky quip even in the face of death, not afraid to bend the rules every now and then, and seemingly never, ever scared. And while that is largel true, and makes her an incredibly dangerous opponent (especially in melee combat), that force of will is also a bit of a front. Tragedy early in her Autobot career had rattled her and it was only by the guiding hand of Autobot Jazz that managed to recover, at least partially. Arcee is a strong femme, but the only one who doesn't think so is Arcee herself.

Abilities: Arcee is an expert in hand to hand combat, trained in various Cybertronian martial arts like Diffusion and Metallikato. She has average strength, but is very agile and nimble. Arcee is equipped with a pair of energo-blades that are just thin and sharp enough to cut through almost anything. She is also an expert sharpshooter with two pistols for long range combat.

* * *

Jetfire

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Air Guardian

Birthplace: Vos, Cybertron

Bio: Jetfire was born to fly, both literally and figuratively. He's a free spirit who doesn't like being tied down to anything-a trait that his former Seeker brothers and sisters resented him form. He is an explorer first and a warrior second, but he won't hesitate to enter the fray to save lives and maybe show off a few moves. Jetfire was one of the few flyers to quit the Seekers and join the Autobots, and he doesn't regret making that decision at all.

Abilities: Jetfire has extensive training in aerodynamics and weapons technology. He is one of the best flyers and pilots among the Autobots. In jet mode, he can fly around the world in 3.61 breems in the atmosphere and with a fully charged booster pack, reach escape velocity and travel between planets. He is armed with dual particle cannons and heat-seeking proton missile in this mode. In robot mode he possesses a double-barreled particle cannon.


	20. Characters-Decepticons

Characters-Decepticons

Megatron

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Decepticon leader

Birthplace: Tarn, Cybertron

Bio: Many scholars believe that the self-destructive nature of Cybertronian society would've driven many bots to revolt even if someone hadn't organized them. That may be true, but only one being on Cybertron had the will and charisma to turn them into a fighting force so powerful that it quickly overran the entire world. That being was Megatron. Once a gladiator turned revolutionary, a series of tragic events had lead to Megaton becoming a warlord who sought to make his people the strongest in the world, with him at the top. To him, the universe is already his, they just don't know it yet.

Abilities: Megatron is immensely powerful, intelligent and resistant to physical damage and fatigue. He is an expert hand to hand combatant and one of the best military planners on Cybertron. His arm mounted fusion cannon can fire a blast up to 12 miles, with enough energy to decimate a Terran city block. For melee combat, he possesses a titanium blade that deploys from his left arm that generates 100 megawatts of electricity at max level.

* * *

Nightshade

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Saboteur

Birthplace: Stryx, Cybertron

Bio: Nightshade is a professional in every sense of the word. She doesn't waste words or time, always opting to demonstrate her beliefs with action. Nightshade's action-oriented behavior and work focused attitude may make her seem cold to some, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, Nightshade is one of the more dedicated of Megatron's followers, almost to the point of fanaticism; she is aware that Megatron respects action above words, and she provides that in spades. She uses her professionalism as a shield, hiding a deep sated insecurity about her skills as Megatron's right hand bot and her place in the Decepticon's grand scheme for the galaxy.

Abilities: Nightshade is a professional fighter and military strategist with above average strength and intelligence. She is equipped with a pair of thin swords and an integrated plasma cannon in her right arm. In both robot mode and beast mode, she is capable of jet propelled flight. Her top speed is 250 mph in robot mode and 500 mph in beast mode. Her beast mode's wings are armed with feather shaped missile darts that are fired at targets within her line of sight. These darts are designed to penetrate thick armor before detonating from the inside.

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Soundwave

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Communications

Birthplace: Kaon, Cybertron

Bio: One of a seemingly rare breed, Soundwave is utterly loyal to Megatron. Rarely speaking, but constantly listening, Soundwave is often the arbiter of good sense in heated debates. Yet he always keeps a part of what he hears and records to himself: blackmail material in case his position should ever be threatened. Outside of Nightshade and his cadre of Minicons, nobody really likes Soundwave, and he doesn't care. He only cares about serving the Decepticon cause and helping Megatron achieve his goals no matter what.

Abilities: Soundwave has great physical strength and intelligence. He is a skilled and highly professional soldier and lieutenant. He can act as a communications center for the Decepticons, keeping all units within 1000 miles in contact. He wields a concussion gun and shoulder-mounted, multi-chambered mini-rocket launcher. In both modes, his chest cavity can store the compressed forms of his Minicon deployers. Additionally, Soundwave has the "outlier" (atypical) ability of enhanced sensory perception. He is able to detect sounds, sights, smells, and transmissions far beyond that of normal Cybertronians. This is often experienced as a form of synesthia. He is able to manipulate transmissions within the audio and electromagnetic spectra. At his ability's limits, Soundwave is able to detect electrical impulses within Cybertronian and human brains, resulting in limited telepathy –though he can only interpret thoughts, not affect them.

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Starscream

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Aerospace commander

Birthplace: Vos, Cybertron

Bio: If Megatron has one weakness, it's his inability to grant Starscream the respect he deserves-not for his considerable abilities or his cold-blooded ruthlessness, but for his dogged refusal to cease making attempts to wrest power from Megatron. Starscream isn't really even smart enough to make secret his ambitions, and his vanity won't tolerate anything less than total command. Guile and treachery are his undoubted talents , but he lacks the patience for any truly grandiose power play.

Abilities: Starscream has above average physical strength and endurance, but his greatest weapon is his silver tongue. Starscream is a highly intelligent schemer and an excellent warrior. He is armed with two Vulcan cannons that fire armor-piercing mercury tipped shells at a rate of 140 rounds per second and bayonets for melee combat. In jet mode, he is armed with six hunter missiles with thermo-reactive warheads that burn at over 1,000 degrees centigrade on impact. His top speed in jet mode is great, with Mach 3 being nothing more than a casual cruising speed for him, able to attain suborbital altitudes with ease.

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Thundercracker

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Deception

Occupation: Warrior

Birthplace: Vos, Cybertron

Bio: Thundercracker was an aimless Seeker whose primary conceit was his contempt for those that couldn't fly. Megatron's skillfully crafted propaganda and personal attention helped convince Thundercracker that his feelings of superiority were justified, and the rhetoric about the grand purpose of the Decepticon cause provided Thundercracker with a much needed sense of direction. It has since become apparent that Thundercracker is not entirely convinced if the Decepticon cause, especially when it puts innocent lives in danger, but his need for meaning in his life allows him to be persuaded to stay.

Abilities: Thundercracker possesses above average strength and intelligence. In jet and robot mode he can create controlled sonic booms that can be heard for 200 miles. He is armed with two drone cruise missiles that can fly for 500 miles and explode with a force of 3000 lbs of TNT. In robot mode he is armed with two shoulder mounted cannons that fire several hundred rounds per second of heat resistant ceramic bullets; the bullets contain highly flammable material that explodes on contact.

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Skywarp

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Warrior

Birthplace: Vos, Cybertron

Bio: Skywarp is a sneaky, underhanded brute whose miniscule attention span haphazardly jumps from one cruel amusement to another. His simple-minded nature can be deceptive, though; Skywarp has an almost autistic creativity when it comes to using his powers for brutal and destructive acts. He'll appear out of nowhere to strike at unprepared Autobots (or random innocents) with an uncanny ability to choose the best moment to strike. His skills as a warrior earn him the respect of his fellow Decepticons and his rude sense of humor also enhances his popularity among them. His sudden jokes are invariably simplistic and mean, and everyone enjoys them…except the butt of the physically abusive pranks.

Abilities: Skywarp possesses above average strength and resistance to physical damage. He's an experienced but straight forward soldier. N jet mode, his top speed is Mach 2 and is armed with heat-seeking missiles. As an outlier, Skywarp has the ability of instant teleportation. He can transport himself and decreases significantly as he approaches the maximum teleportation distance. In robot mode, he is armed with variable-caliber machines guns.

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Knockout

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Medic

Birthplace: Harmonex, Cybertron

Bio: Sure, other Decepticons may scoff at his decision to go with a land-based alt mode, but Knockout couldn't care less. He knows the value of looking good and isn't afraid to let others know it. It's not simply his own lines he's interested in; he has an appreciation for well-built mechanical bodyforms of all sizes and functions…and a nasty penchant for tearing them apart after he's done admiring them. Slick, sly and snobbish, he's the Decepticon's medic, though he professes both a preference and proficiency for disassembly. However, his medical skill has kept him in high demand. While not entirely a coward, Knockout also knows a good thing or two about self-preservation. When the going gets tough, Knockout gets going-the opposite direction. He has no qualms with abandoning ship if only to save his hide, even if it means betraying Megatron or deserting altogether. He doesn't get much respect on the Nemesis, either. Show him some kindness and hey, maybe he'll stick by your side.

Abilities: Knockout has above average intelligence and is thoroughly trained in various medical and scientific fields. Much of his tools of trade are built into his body courtesy of his Minicon Scalpel; a titanium drill, a tyyrenium saw, a laser scalpel, diagnostic scanners and foam sealant. All the tools he needs to perform quick but precise procedures on the field, but for major operations he requires the use of major equipment suitable for operations. Aside from using his medical tools as weapons, Knockout is also armed with an energon prod designed to deliver strong electrical jolts that affect Cybertronian neural systems.

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Barricade

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Warrior

Birthplace: Iacon, Cybertron

Bio: Barricade has got a bit of a mouth on him. Whether its smashing through an Autobot roadblock or hunting down his latest quarry, he rarely lets an opportunity to taunt, criticize or demoralize someone go by. And no, not even his fellow Decepticons are safe…not even Megatron. One would think this would mean a short end to his career, but apparently not. The Decepticon leader has taken to tolerating his loud mouth, perhaps due to his effectiveness and tenacity in his job as an enforcer of Decepticon law, but possibly because his scolding of the other Decepticons sometimes works in Megatron's favor. Barricade's favorite tactic is taunting his opponents until they start chasing him, and then leading them through hazardous areas that they don't have a chance of surviving, while he will escape without a scratch. As a hunter, he keeps his opponents of guard and nervous by talking a lot, citing them with whatever crimes they've omitted against the Decepticons.

Abilities: Barricade is a skilled tracker, able to read the lay of the land and use the environment to his advantage. For melee combat, he wields a collection of gyro-flight blades that turn at 600 rpm that are connected to Barricade's neural processor. The sharp blades are lethal to himself as well as his enemies, so he must generate a surface level, localized forcefield around his right hand to protect his fingers from accidental injury.

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Lugnut

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Warrior

Birthplace: Kaon, Cybertron

Bio: If Megatron were to command Lugnut to jump, the powerful mech would be in the upper atmosphere long before his master could specify how high. In Lugnut's eye, bold, heroic Megatron embodies the Decepticon cause, and his devotion is total. It's easy to misinterpret Lugnut's blind zeal for lack of overall processing power, but this is not the case. Although he isn't a thinker or planner, Lugnut does not care, for Megatron is brilliant enough for a thousand Decepticons. His master makes the plans and Lugnut carries them out. However, that blind loyalty is his weakness. Although innovative on the battlefield, he does little thinking about anything else.

Abilities: Lugnut is exceptionally strong and has tough armor that weathers the effects of physical attacks. He is armed with a large magnetic mace that unleashes a powerful magnetic wave on contact. Lugnut can also launch dozens of laser-guided missiles from his back that attack non-friendly targets.

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Flamewar

Race: Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Huntress

Birthplace: Ky-Alexia, Cybertron

Bio: As the second born of the so-called "Arcee sisters", Flamewar was often overlooked in favor of her other sisters, Arcee and Moonracer. She is a perfectionalist by nature, so having been outclassed not only by Arcee, but also her baby sister Moonracer was nothing short of an insult. She is merciless to a fault, wiling to kill anyone just to preserve her own life or would instigate a massacre out of petty jealousy. Flamewar considers herself the greatest warrior of her generation, but she cannot realize that dream unless she snuff out Arcee once and for all so that no one can dispute her claim. Such an attitude has put her at odds with many of her fellow Cons, lest of all Nightshade, who could trust Flamewar as far as she could throw her.

Abilities: Flamewar is a skilled warrior and tracker. She knows how to read the lay of the land in order to track her prey and uses this knowledge when performing infiltration and assassination missions. She is knowledgeable in various fighting techniques, and is armed with a laser crossbow that shoots both energy and solid projectiles and has two thin blades in her forearms.


	21. Characters-Minicons

Characters-Minicons

Sparkplug

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Micron leader

Birthplace: Tesarus Minor, Epistemus

Bio: Despite his small size, Sparkplug has all the qualities of a great leader, one who truly understands the needs of his people and struggles to meet them. Sparkplug speaks simply and without the flowery words of a politician. He is very much a mech of the people, and that's why so many Minicons respond to his words. Even though he has a natural inclination towards leadership, he is a bit young and naïve, but these traits make his sentiments seem even more genuine. Sparkplug is no warrior, but he will fight for his people, no matter who his opponent is.

Abilities: Sparkplug has average strength and above average intelligence. He is a quick thinker who can make decisions on the fly, even while driving at high speeds. Sparkplug is thoroughly trained in using firearms and close quarters combat, but his real talent is his natural ability to relate to others and motivate them with his words.

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High Wire

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Street Action Team leader

Birthplace: Tesarus Minor, Epistemus

Bio: High Wire is the ultimate team player. He's always got something motivational to say to spur his companions into action, he never fails to give credit to his team instead of himself and he's ready and willing to work with anyone to get the job done. There are very few beings that don't enjoy working with the cheerful, ego-free Minicon-Grindor jokes that High Wire's pep talks could even convince a Decepticon to help out. The unwavering belief in the strength of teamwork is High Wire's driving characteristic, and it makes him one of the most popular and respected Minicons.

Abilities: High Wire possesses only average strength but great intelligence. Despite his self proclaimed lack of leadership, High Wire is very capable of motivating, organizing and commanding small team-based operations. Although he lacks speed in his vehicle mode, he has great maneuverability.

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Grindor

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Street Action Team

Birthplace: Tesarus Minor, Epistemus

Bio: Grindor is the most creative member of the Street Action Team-and the most unpredictable. These characteristics are probably what make him suited to his chosen alt mode as a skateboard, since his human friend is known to try a daredevil stunt or two for fun. Grindor (usually) enjoys these tricks, but his true goal is to help all of his friends harness their creative energy to make their goals come true. Some scoff at the artistic Grindor's idealistic outlook, but there's something about the innocent, positive Minicon that make people listen despite themselves; his uplifting message and bright outlook have succeeded in changing the even some of the most cynical minds.

Abilities: Grindor has unimpressive strength, but great intelligence and imagination. He is fairly agile in robot mode and can use his rear thrusters for a speed boost in alt mode. He has small, low powered missile launchers in this mode as well.

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Sureshock

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Street Action Team

Birthplace: Mebian, Epistemus

Bio: More than anything else, Sureshock represents individuality. She prides herself on being a free-thinker and urges others-especially her human friend Gina, whom she has very high hopes for-to do the same. The independent streak sometimes puts her at odds with team-oriented High Wire, but the two usually use their differences to learn from each other and grow even stronger, individually and as teammates. Sureshock doesn't even believe in going against the grain for its own sake; instead she just believes in getting all the facts and making your own decisions rather than allowing someone to do it for you. She has a deep empathy with all living beings and is willing to fight for their freedom, and this sense of positive activism seems to be rubbing off on Gina as well.

Abilities: Sureshock is highly intelligent and agile, but lacks physical strength and resistance to damage. She is an excellent decision maker with an uncanny ability to sift through facts from different sources to reach the best objective conclusion. Her vehicle mode is the fastest of the trio.

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Centurion

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Gestalt

Bio: The three Minicons of the Street Action Team-High Wire, Grindor and Sureshock-are some of the tightest knit groups in Minicon society, sharing a bond most Autobot teams rarely experience. It is perhaps this strong bond is what allows them to form the first Minicon gestalt, Centurion. The result of stolen Autobot combiner technology scaled down for Minicon use, Centurion exemplifies each of their best traits; creativity, teamwork and individuality, respectively. He is strong in both mind and body, and is a noble being at heart who seeks to defend the innocent and fight those who threaten his friends.

Abilities: Centurion is extremely strong and agile for a gestalt his size. He can stand up to bots twice his size in battle and uses built in rocket jets in his feet to glide around and jump incredible distances with ease. Unlike other gestalts, Centurion doesn't suffer from the lack of intelligence like Superion and Devastator. This is probably due to the strong connection and in-synch mindscape that his three components share as a team.

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Jolt

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Bumblebee's partner

Birthplace: Helex, Cybertron

Bio: Jolt's workload has been high ever since he joined the war effort as Bumblebee's partner. He tries to teach the young and still slightly naïve Autobot about the ways of the world, and despite being a difficult task, Jolt feels it's worth the effort. Jolt is no fighter or soldier, but seeing how genuine Team Prime is in rescuing his Minicon brothers and sisters has convinced him to take part in the war that he worked so hard to escape from.

Abilities: Jolt has average strength and intelligence, but he is very skilled in aerial maneuvers. He is able to fly in tight spaces and low to the ground with ease. Jolt's helicopter mode is armed with two machine guns.

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Longarm

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Assistant medic

Birthplace: Tetrahex, Solomus

Bio: Longarm never takes anything for granted. Having already lived in a city that was not very welcoming to Minicons from the start, Longarm started out with little and spent most of his life that way until the war broke out. But he was not one to take what little he had for granted, and never asked for more. Despite being built for heavy lifting and construction, Longarm's true calling was in the medical field and he had to jump through some big hoops to make sure that no one found out about him giving medical aid to the weary and broken down of his community. He left Cybertron to escape what he felt was not his war, but upon awakening on Terra, he learned that running away from the problem was just as bad as ignoring it.

Abilities: Despite his small build, Longarm is extremely strong for a Minicon of his size. He sports an enhanced musculature that allows him to lift three times his own weight ad makes him resistant to damage that would normally cripple a regular Minicon. His alt mode's crane doubles as a railgun, though he rarely uses it.

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Rollbar

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Scientist

Birthplace: Shi-La, Solomus

Bio: Rollbar is the type of scientist who believes that planets are living organisms and that stars are portals to alternate dimensions. He is a free spirit, not one to let detractors (whom he considers close minded slagheads) to ruin his fun and refers to have an open mind when dealing with nature and the universe. But he's always open to second or third opinions as they help him in his line of thinking. He double checks his ideas against the nearest available expert whenever possible. Yeah, he's a bit of a crackpot. He's a cheerful, likable crackpot though, and his friends warmed up to him for it.

Abilities: Rollbar has average strength but is highly intelligent. He is skilled in most material sciences, and a bit of mechanical engineering, but he's fairly useless for hands on work.

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Liftor

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Engineer

Birthplace: Tesarus Minor, Epistemus

Bio: Tech-savy but no particularly courageous, Liftor wishes fervently for the war to be over so that his life can return to some semblance of normalcy. Everyone who knows him can attest to the fact that he's a nice bot, but definitely not an individual you'd want at your side on the battlefield. Liftor is high-strung and fidgety, but he's been known to rise to the occasion in times of need. Liftor is willing to come to the aid of his fellow Minicons and Autobot allies, but it's not something that he wants to do on a regular basis.

Abilities: Liftor is a technically inclined thinker, able to repair and upgrade basic technology with ease. He also has an impressive strength level, especially in his load lifter vehicle mode.

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Road Storm

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Jazz's partner

Birthplace: Iacon, Cybertron

Bio: Road Storm follows where the road takes him. Though he is usually associated with the Autobots, he has no interest in the war or their goals. He simply does jobs for them to keep himself in energon, and as soon as that scene gets too heavy, he's outta there. Distancing himself from the good-goody loser under Sparkplug's employ, he thinks of himself as a "road scholar", roaming the highways and deserts, thinking the deep thoughts and jotting down poetry…between rounds of blowing things up with his rifle, named Dutch after a movie character, to save off boredom.

Abilities: Road Storm doesn't have any notable abilities, but he does possess exceptionally fast reflexes and marksmanship skills. He is armed with a heat rifle he aptly names Dutch and considers the only thing he can trust in this harsh, cruel world…aside from himself.

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Commetor

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Jetfire's partner

Birthplace: Beta, Solomus

Bio: Commetor suffers heavily from wanderlust. He hates staying in one place for any length of time and loves exploring, especially the astronomical wonders found in space. There's nothing he'd rather do than journey through the stars, cataloging deep-space phenomena…but the war with the Decepticons tends to keep him stuck planetside. This often sends the inquisitive Minicon into a deep personal funk, much to his friends' dismay. Comettor tries not to let it affect his performance, and it usually doesn't, but those close to him know it's eating him up inside and do the best they can to help him through it.

Abilities: Comettor has no solid combat experience, though he is skilled in chemical science, some metallurgy and astrophysics. His body is equipped for operating in zero-G environments, natural or artificial; with jet boosters in his feet for propulsion, large tires for gripping hard surfaces on moons or asteroids with low gravity, and his left arm is a high-tech radar array that can send and receive signals.

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Peppercat

Race: Minicon, Cybertron

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Arcee's partner

Birthplace: Gamma, Espistemus

Bio: Peppercat is an odd femme, plain and simple. The youngest of a set of triplets, she was born with a glitch that caused her feline beast mode's instincts to override her logic circuits, making her more beast than bot. this side-effect is even worse in her beast mode, where she barely acts like a civilized person most of the time. She is a very energetic Minicon that can tire nearly anyone out just by watching her run around and touch everything she sees and her innate curiosity of all things shiny and fancy can lead her into more trouble than it's worth. Her hyperactivity is only made worse by her unique biology.

Abilities: In robot mode, Peppercat possesses above-average strength and endurance, as well as lightning fast reflexes. In beast mode, she can achieve a ground speed of 140 mph. Her slender and flexible physiology allows her body to move and bend in ways most bots could only dream of. Through various plug-like extensions on her hands, feet, and tail, Peppercat's body can absorb electricity and channel the energy throughout her musculature, increasing her overall physical abilities, but scattering her mental faculties in the process.

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Tracer

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Aerospace pilot

Birthplace: Harmonex, Cybertron

Bio: Tracer is as optimistic as they come. As one of the rare few Minicons born on Cybertron itself instead of its moons, Tracer was a victim of anti-Minicon sentiments by the larger bots that may of her kind often suffer from. But Tracer never let it get her down, using her positive outlook on life and her imagination to keep reality from caving in on her. She's a strong optimist, but not to the point where she ignores the reality of the world around her. Having worked odd jobs as a pilot for Bulks and Mincons alike, Tracer knows that the universe can be a cold, cruel place…but only if you let it be.

Abilities: Tracer has average physical abilities, but has amazing acrobatic skills. Coupled with her fast reaction time, Tracer is quick on the draw and makes quick movements in the blink of an eye. This is due to her being an outlier, a bot with supermechanical powers. She can stop time for a few short seconds long enough for her to move to a different location, making people think that she has super speed. She is armed with two "stingers" that discharge electrical jolts that paralyze weaker mechanical systems, and a pair of electro-whips that generate up to 1,000 volts of electricity at max level. She is also a skilled pilot in most aerospace craft.

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D-Va

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Saboteur

Birthplace: Tyran, Solomus

Bio: D-Va may look refined, dignified and proper on the outside, but to those who know her personally, she has a fierce competitive streak when it comes to games. She's always had a love for games, video games in particular and has developed a gamer girl persona in regards to playing all kinds of human games, from shooters to MMORGPs. Despite this, D-Va is the kind of femme who can make friends easily, but also has a lot of secrets she'd prefer to keep buried in his past. Secrets that, to this day, haunt her every waking moment.

Abilities: D-Va is skilled in mixed martial arts and is highly proficient in the use of firearms and melee weapons. Her sole weapon is a soplistic staff made of tyrrenium, a rare Cybertronian ore, that can scramble short-range communications in the immediate vicinity.

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Jetstorm

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Air Defense Team

Birthplace: Kinshara, Epistemus

Bio: Jetstorm's name implies a much more turbulent personality than his name would suggest. He is perhaps the most easy-going of the Air Defense Team, but his agreeable nature and tendency to go along with whatever Runway and Sonar say leads many to believe that he's somewhat slow. This isn't so; Jetstorm is just a very introspective mech. Of all of the Air Defense Team, he harbors the most pent up anger against the Decepticons for the enslavement of his people. This deep rooted hostility lies hidden beneath his jovial persona, but sometimes it leaks to the surface, catching many off guard.

Abilities: Like the rest of the Air Defense Team unit, Jetstorm transforms into a supersonic jet mode. He is the strongest member of the team physically and the most aggressive flyer. He combines with Runway and Sonar to form the blade Omni Saber.

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Runway

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Air Defense Team leader

Birthplace: Kinshara, Epistemus

Bio: The loquacious Runway became the de facto leader of the Air Defense Team after they escaped the Decepticon raids on Epistemus and joined Sparkplug's Minicon combiner program. Although he isn't fond of warfare or the responsibilities of leadership, Runway rose to the challenge with admirable skill. His planning allowed the team to aid in the construction of the Exodus that took the majority of the Micron faction off Cybertron. Though Runway is proud of his efforts to save his fellow Minicons, he secretly harbors great guilt that the escape ship he planned and built crashed on Terra, endangering another world.

Abilities: Runway is quick-witted in battle, capable of planning and designing feats that border on genius if given enough time. He transforms into a shuttle and can combine with Jetstorm and Sonar to form the blade of the Omni Saber.

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Sonar

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Micron

Occupation: Air Defense Team

Birthplace: Kinshara, Epistemus

Bio: Where Runway leads, Sonar follows. Sonar's just as smart and capable of Runway-perhaps more so, according to some accounts-but he's perfectly willing to defer to his leader in most circumstances. He's immensely grateful to Runway for arranging the trio's escape from the Decepticon prison camp; Sonar considers this an awesome debt that can never be truly repaid. For this reason, he can always be found backing up Runway in word and deed, especially on the battlefield.

Abilities: Sonar is the most levelheaded of the trio. He is intelligent and courageous, but doesn't assert himself too often. He also has the most advanced sensor capabilities of the unit. Sonar combines with Jetstorm and Runway to form the hilt of the Omni Saber.

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Leader-1

Race: Minion, Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Mini-Con commander

Birthplace: Tyran, Solomus

Bio: Leader-1 was once a noble and vigilant mech charged with protecting the Minicon settlements on Cybertron's second moon, Solomus as a member of its militia. He was once a kind and clam mech, but an atrocity committed by those sent to protect his people had harkened this warrior's Spark. Leader-1 is a no-nonsense soldier who keeps his eye on the prize, knowing that the mission comes first before anything else, even his own life. To him, every battle, every sacrifice, works towards a single goal that drives his quest for vengeance. He joined Megatron's crusade not just for a chance to become powerful, but also to get revenge on the people who ruined his life…the Autobots

Abilities: Leader-1 is a powerful Minicon trained extensively in military combat techniques and weaponry. In his vehicle mode, he has two independently targeting pulse cannons that can track multiple targets simultaneously.

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Songbird

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Targetmaster

Birthplace: Yuss, Cybertron

Bio: Songbirdis a rare type of Minicon. She is a targetmaster, a Minicon who can transform into a weapon of incredible power. Because of this, Songbird spent most of her life being used as a weapon, forced to kill bots both innocent and guilty without remorse. Having lived this way for years, Songbird has become submissive and quiet, seeing herself as a tool for others to use without any will of her own. It's an attitude that her partner (or as she calls her "Mistress") Nightshade is trying to get her to abandon with great difficulty.

Abilities: Songbird is a Targetmaster; a Minicon who can transform into a weapon and mingle her Spark with that of her partner, allowing a dramatic boost in firepower for both of them. She has acute audio and visual functions that allow her to not only hear far off sounds, but also see into three layers of the electromagnetic spectrum. Her robot mode has two photon cannons on her wings and a retractable machine gun on her underbelly.

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Grid

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Starscream's partner

Birthplace: Stanix, Cybertron

Bio: Grid is a sneak who is mainly concerned for himself. He's a smooth talker with a gift of gab and bluff who can wheedle people into seeing his way…at least, long enough to get what he wants. He actually gets along very well with his Decepticon "partner" Starscream, but how much of that respect is genuine has yet to be seen. Grid lacks the strength of character to be a good guy, but suffers too many pangs of conscience to be a bad guy, try as he might. Grid likes to think that he's untouchable so long as he knows how to approach a situation, but deep down, he knows that someday, his luck will run out and his silver tongue won't be of any use to him.

Abilities: While not possessing any true military training, Grid's troubled upbringing in the slums of Stanix has toughened him up considerable, making him strong both in mind and body. His ability to "sway" others to his way of thinking is also a valuable skill. Due to a complication in his protoform stage, Grid's body twitches sporadically and uncontrollably, making him unsuitable for precise tasks that require a careful hand.

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Cannon

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Blackout's partner

Birthplace: Gamma, Epistemus

Bio: Cannon had the "good" luck of being partnered with the second most silent Decepticon on the Nemesis team, Blackout. Cannon was a perpetually bored mech, wandering through life aimlessly and truly believing things were hopeless for him. But once he experienced charging into battle, attacking Autobot installations from the inside as a covert saboteur, Cannon found his true calling. He's now an avowed thrill-seeker and he's partnered with a Con who barely says more than a few words a day and barely does anything except roam around the Nemesis like a ghost. Life has a way of getting back at you just when you're feeling on top of the world.

Abilities: Cannon transforms into a heavily armored battle tank capable of reaching speeds of 30mph on land. In this mode, he fires pulse blasts that grow stronger the farther they travel, drawing energy from the atmosphere around them and growing stronger. In robot mode, Cannon has good endurance but not as much strength as his stocky build implies.

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Search

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Lugnut's partner

Birthplace: Aggressive and independent, Search doesn't care what anyone else thinks about him. He follows his own path, and he's primarily concerned with seeing some action and staying true to himself. This spirited attitude often puts him at odds with his partner, Lugnut, who reveres authority and always respects Megatron's commands. In fact, Search isn't even entirely convinced of the Decepticon cause, which infuriates those around him. Even when Leader-1 inflicts punishment on him for insubordination, Search remains a staunchly free thinking. Lugnut, feeling sympathy for his errant partner, tries to convince Search to change his way of looking at things; meanwhile, Search is trying to get Lugnut to do the same thing.

Abilities: Search is physically powerful and heavily armored. In his vehicle mode, he acts as a mobile missile platform with payload varying between high explosives to chemical corrosives. He also possesses an advanced sensor array that he uses for tracking and locking on to targets.

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Brahe

Race: Minicon, Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Demolitions

Birthplace: Kaon, Cybertron

Bio: Brahe is only good for one thing, smashing things. He is the epitome of all brawns and no brains, lacking the intelligence to do all but the most basic things. Brahe is a powerful warrior, but when he's not fighting, he gives Lugnut a run for his money in the brains department, only good for his muscle and nothing else. Brahe is nothing more than a thug who made it this far in life by beating bots to scrap and acting as a bodyguard to people willing to pay for some muscle, but not smarts. He may be a capable warrior, but if tricked, he is as dangerous to his allies as well as his enemies.

Abilities: Brahe has immense strength and possesses thick armor that can defend against projectiles and laser fire. He can transform into a giant ball that is twice as armored as his robot mode and he can propel himself forward like a ball, moving at high speeds. In this form, Brahe can ricochet off solid surfaces to increase his speed and impact force. The only setback is that he has no control over which direction and must be deflected several times before hitting his target, but his speed makes up for this by making him hard to avoid.


	22. Characters-Organics

Characters-Humans/other

Darren Radcliffe

Race: Human, esper

Age: 13

Occupation: Middle school student

Birthplace: Tranquility, Dakote

Bio: Darren is a young esper boy who lives in Tranquility with his two sisters. He is a responsible boy, the type of child who prefers being by himself or around people he knows instead of strangers or large crowds. Having manifested his powers at a young age, Darren goes to great lengths to hide his status as an esper, not just because he's afraid of the stigma that it'll bring to him but also because of what it might mean for Annie and Debbie. As a result, he tends to be by his lonesome, though Annie tries his best to bring him out of his shell. Despite this, he will not hesitate to fight if his family is threatened.

Abilities: A telekinetic of immense potential, Darren can move solid matter with his thoughts. He can project concussive force, create protective shields and augment his physical abilities to make his boy stronger and faster. He can also skillfully manipulate his environment, causing spikes to shoot up from the ground, freeze water and, with concentration, vibrate molecules to generate fire. His powers are nearly limitless, but he lacks the control to manipulate large or heavy objects, though he is working to overcome this limitation.

Darren's Talos, the Prometheus, is a powered armored suit that increases his physical abilities and protects him from most outside threats. It is a basic set of armor that is armed with a beam saber, a beam rifle and two wrist mounted repulsor cannons that can either repel or burn through physical objects. The Prometheus is powered by an Apollo drive, an engine that absorbs solar energy and converts it into power by recycling the energy through a condenser that generates sol particles, which can repel physical objects and thus allow him to fly. All the suit's functions are controlled mentally or by voice command.

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Annie Radcliffe

Race: Human

Age: 13

Occupation: Middle school student

Birthplace: Tranquility, Dakote

Bio: Annie is Darren's twin sister, born five minutes before him. She's his polar opposite, whereas Darren is quiet and cautious, Annie is loud and thrill-seeking, often causing trouble for her friends. Annie, unlike most humans, actually supports esper equality, practically worshipping them and secretly wishing that she was one. This has caused some friction with her brother, who tries to hide his powers rather than embrace them. She is reckless and headstrong, but this is actually a cover for a vulnerable girl with a slight inferiority complex. She hates that Darren got to be an esper instead of her and hates how he acts like he's normal when he's not. To her, power is everything and without it, you are nothing.

Abilities: Annie is a regular human being with an average level of strength and intelligence. She's undergone martial arts training from Gina's mom, Julia, and knows various fighting techniques. Her Talos, Enyo, is a heavy artillery suit that sports a larger frame that the other two Omega Talos and increases her physical abilities. It is equipped with a wrist cannon on her right arm that fires all kinds of rounds, a rocket launcher mounted on her left shoulder that fires six different kinds of missiles, a machine gun mounted on her right shoulder and a plasma blade on her left forearm. Much like the other armors, it is powered by an Apollo drive and runs on sol particles that allow it to fly.

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Gina Harkins

Race: Human

Age: 13

Occupation: Middle school student

Birthplace: Tranquility, Dakote

Bio: As the daughter of an archaeologist for a father and a martial arts master for a mother, Gina was born into an odd family. She's a cheerful girl who manages to capture the hearts of everyone she meets, but she's more into learning more about the world's history and solving complicated puzzles instead of meeting new friends. Nonetheless, Gina treasures the friendships she has with the Radcliffe twins and wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. Now that she carries the title of one of the first humans to make first contact with aliens, Gina's reached the height of her (imaginary) career and she plans on going even higher!

Abilities: Gina lacks any notable physical attributes that her mother has, but her intelligence and intuition have developed into an astounding ability to solve puzzles and work with machines. This also carries into a talent for linguistics, including computer coding. If it involves technology or puzzle solving of some form, chances are she can figure it out. Just recently she has started learning how to read Cybertronian under Ratchet's guidance.

Gina's Omega Talos, the Athena, is an armor that is mostly stealth oriented. It is virtually invisible to sensors and enemy early warning systems, employing radar-eluding surface geometry that gave it the effective radar profile of an acorn. The Athena's photochromatic coating could darken or lighten or match the lighting of the surrounding environment. It's only weapons were two pulse cannons that fired slow-moving plasma torpedoes. Each plasma torpedo became more powerful the longer it traveled in the atmosphere as it picked up static electricity and ambient energy. The Athena's most powerful weapon is its beam cannon, a weapon that fired a destructive beam of condense sol particles. Though powerful it drew power from the Apollo drive and it could only fire two shouts before the drive was depleted. Like the Prometheus and the Enyo, the Athena was powered by a unique Apollo drive that channeled solar energy called sol particles throughout the suit.

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Kevin Koss

Race: Human, esper

Age: 14

Occupation: Middle schools student

Birthplace: Tranquility, Dakote

Bio: Ever since he was a child, Kevin always had a fascination with flying. Both his parents were ace fighter pilots who could pull even the most dangerous aerial maneuver and Kevin wanted to be just like them. Not even the death of his father during an air show deterred him from achieving this dream, rather it motivated him. He's a very friendly and social boy who tries to see the good in life despite all the bad that happens around him. His only worry is that his esper power, the ability to control fire, might kill his dream before it even gets off the ground. But he's confident with his friend Penny's help, he can make it through anything.

Abilities: Kevin can emit, absorb and/or redirect flame/heat, controlling both with molecular precision. He can generate heat waves, flame blasts and flame constructs, use convection currents and thermal updrafts to carry tons of weight aloft and either move it forward or suspend it in midair. He can mentally control any heat or flame in his vicinity, and is physical immune to extreme heat and flame. His flames can be hot enough to melt bullets in midair, melt through foot thick steel and reduce rock to molten slag.

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Penny Pincer

Race: Human

Age: 13

Occupation: Middle school student

Birthplace: Washington, DC

Bio: Penny was born into money and had everything practically handed to her from birth, being the daughter of a major Talos manufacturing company. But despite her spoiled lifestyle, she is a hard working gal who is actually very intelligent, though few rarely see it. Penny may come off as a haughty and competitive girl, but she's actually very supportive of her friends, especially to her best friend, Kevin. Her only competition in the intelligence department is Gina, whom she met at a science fair they tied in, thus beginning their five year rivalry of trying to one-up each other. For all their intellect, their rivalry has bordered on the childish, especially the name twisting insults referring to Gina's growing body or Penny's last name. Despite this, they are better working together, than against each other.

Abilities: Penny is at least Gina Harkin's equal in raw intelligence, though some of their areas of specialty are different. She is very knowledgeable in science, mostly chemistry, which Gina lacks in, though she is not as good at physics or linguistics as her rival.

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Debbie Radcliffe

Race: Human

Age: 20

Occupation: Nurse

Birthplace: Tranquility, Dakote

Bio: Debbie is the oldest sister of Darren and Annie, and their legal guardian. Debbie is a strong-willed and responsible young woman who cares for her siblings very much and is willing to go to great lengths to keep them safe. She tries her best to be the best older sister for them, though she still has to learn the ins and outs of raising twins, let alone children, but she does her best. But sometimes she can be too controlling, such as when Darren's esper powers manifested and she basically used fear to keep him from revealing his powers. This lack of support in him has caused more than enough fights between her and Annie multiple times. She means well, but sometimes she takes it too far.

Abilities: Debbie is a normal human with average physical abilities. She is trained in various medical techniques as a nurse and is renowned for being the youngest heart surgeon in the country.

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Aries

Race: Human, esper

Age: Unknown

Occupation: Zodiac general

Birthplace: Unknown

Bio: Aries is one of thirteen Zodiacs who control the mysterious organization OZ. As such, he knows the true purpose of OZ-to rule the world through clandestine means and evolving humanity into a new state of being. He is a no-nonsense warrior who is skilled in the art of war and is very flexible in battle situations, able to stay calm in the heat of battle and formulate plans with ease. That being said, he has no patience for people who fool around, putting him at odds with his fellow general Aquarius. To him, he has a job to do and people to take their grand mission lightly are expendable.

Abilities: Aries is a skilled fighter and Talos pilot. He is a master tactician who stays calm in intense situations and is at the peak of physical health, sporting strength that is way above that of a normal human. His esper power allows him to fire beams of superheated air that explode with the force of C4. By channeling energy from his body through his third eye, he can release narrow but fast beams of heat that explodes on contact. These beams are strong enough to vaporize rock, evaporate water and even puncture Cybertronian armor. Aries has enough control over his beams to slightly control their direction to soot around corners, but he's not very skilled in that regard. The only flaw of his power is that his energy flow must be unrestricted in order to work. If his third eye is damaged, his energy would be blacked up and trying to force it through would be met with devastating, potentially fatal consequences.

Aries' Talos, the Krios, is mainly a close combat armor that he dons when going into battle, its sole purpose is to augment his physical abilities. Its construction was modeled after the strong physique of the god of war, Ares, to match his personality and fighting style. It is armed with only a shoulder mounted missile launcher that fires armor piercing rockets designed with the intention of mimicking the function of a tank's sabot round. He is also armed with a broadsword made of adamantium, the strongest and rarest metal in the world. He wields this sword with great skill and can cause even the strongest of foes serious damage with it.

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Aquarius

Race: Human, esper

Age: Unknown

Occupation: Zodiac general

Birthplace: Unknown

Bio: Aquarius is one of the thirteen Zodiac generals that command OZ, but at first glance you'd think she was anything but a hardened soldier. She treats war like a game, thinking that since her enemies are inferior to her superior might as both a human and a fighter, they'd naturally use, and thus rarely takes her operations seriously. This puts her at odds with her partner Aries, a man who prides himself on maintaining orderly conduct and moving forward. She may look playful, but she's no less dangerous when she shows her real side; a selfish, vindictive woman who sees herself and others like her as gods who should be on top of the world, ruling it from the shadows. Anyone or anything she thinks looks more beautiful than her should be snuffed out before they could upstage her in her eyes. Many priceless artifacts and people met their end at her hand because of this and Aries has pulled out all the stops to keep her from drawing attention to them. But she doesn't care; to her, as long as she's in command, victory in assured.

Abilities: Aqurius, like Aries, displays superhuman abilities that make her a tough opponent to fight. She is a skilled acrobatic, and has been shown to uses her flexible body to her advantage both on or off the battle field. Aquarius has the hydrokinetic ability to create, control and absorb water or liquid in all its forms. She is very fluid with how she uses her powers, able to freeze water, condense it from air, evaporate it into vapor, and even allow herself to walk on water. Aquarius can also change the density of her water, making it hard enough to punch through solid rock, sharpen it into a blade that can cut through various materials, and summon large waves and whips of varying sizes. At her strongest, she can control the water in an organism's body like a puppet, though this requires concentration.

Her Talos, the Hydrakhoos, is an armor that is the epitome of her arrogance. It sports nothing special aside from a slender build, having no weapons, separate or integrated. It only provides protection and strength enhancements. She relies on her powers to carry her through a battle, and this recklessness has caused her comrades a lot of trouble in the past.


	23. Section 2-Uprising

Section 2-Uprising

This section of the sourcebook deals with the characters and elements introduced in Transformers: Uprising. Uprising is the first story in a prequel trilogy that tells of the three stages of Cybertron's modern history; the Uprising, the War and the Fall. This story focuses on Orion Pax and Megatron as they fight against the corrupt government for the sake of cybertronian freedom and independence in a world where one's worth was measured by their usefulness to society. As they are cemented into their roles as leaders of their respected factions, the conflict against the elements that seek to destroy them will set the stage for the eventual civil war between the Autobots and Decepticons.

Here you will read about the various settings and elements present in pre-war Cybertron, along with characters such as Orion Pax and Megatron, before they were made into the memoriable faction leaders and bitter enemies we know them now.


	24. Functionism

Functionism

Functionism is a belief system and social structure where a cybertronian's role in society is defined by their alternate mode. Trucks and construction vehicles are required to engage in manual labor employment for instance, while a proton microscope would be allowed to pursue intellectual pursuits.

Functionism divides and classifies cybertronians according to the Grand Cybertronian Taxonomy, a caste system which ranks individuals based on the ubiquity or rarity of their alt modes. Under a practice known as ratiosm, higher social standings are provided to those with less common alt modes, and vice versa. The most common alt modes, such as memory sticks and laser pointers, were lumped together under the disposable caste, and were harshly discriminated against. Beastformers were only treated moderately worse. The specifics of functionism were organized and enforced by the Funtionist Council, which was formed by Nominus Prime during the 4th cycle of his rule in the infancy of the GCT.

Grand Cybertronian Taxonomy

Under functionalism, all cybertronian life can be classified in one great system, known as the Gran Cybertronian Taxonomy. This classification determined the placement of Transformers in this hierarchy based on the user's alt mode: those with common forms became the disposable class, who ranked so socially low that they were deemed as expendable. Those with rarer and more specialized forms, such as proton microscopes, however, were given more opportunities and rights than those with a simpler alt mode such as memory sticks.

The GCT was overseen and administered by the major proponent of the system and played a large part in its evolution and adoption as an absolute, mandatory social authority.

The GCT listed over seven hundred and forty different forms of alternate mode. The Functionist Council edited and re-edited the GCT every time an alt mode went "extinct". Under the GCT, a cybertronian was assigned to a caste by the Guilds as soon as they finished their education upon maturation from the protoform stage.

Though its rigid structure was intended to preserve cybertronian society, its repressive force was a larger factor in the social decay and unrest that led to the formation of the Decepticons and the start of the Great War.


	25. Senate

Senate

The senate is the legislative body of pre-war Cybertron. While the Prime and the Cybertron Defense Forces hold military and police powers, the senate creates the laws they enforce and make decisions on current events. The senate is composed of representatives from the 13 major city-states (excluding the minor settlements like Mytharc and Rodion).

The senate's origins date back to the formation of the original thirteen city-states that were formed before the Quintesson occupation; Iacon, Nova Cronum, Polyhex, Uraya, Altihex, Ky-Alexia, Stanix, Kaon, Tarn, Styx, Kalis, Simfur, and Praxus. Under the direction of Nova Prime, each state had a senator that acted as the representative for their designated city on the senate. This governmental system hasn't changed since the rise of more city-states like Carpessa, Yuss, and Tetrahex. It wasn't until the formation of the Functionists and the disappearance of Nova Prime and the Proudstar's crew that the senate slowly became more corrupt. Eventually, in the years following the Rust Plague, the status of the Prime had been lessoned and the senate became oppressive in a caste-ridden social system with themselves on top.


	26. Spark

Spark

The most mysterious component of a cybertronian, the Spark is the most fundamental. A Spark is what gives cybertronians their individuality and life. Mythology holds that each Spark is a fragment of Primus, god of light and a member of the Guiding Hand of ancient lore. While science has not fully established where Sparks come from, it is known that Sparks are vital to all Transformers.

Essentially, a Spark is a small fragment of as yet unclassified energy. It is not known how or why they are able to grant life to a cybertronian. All Sparks arose naturally from hot spots dotting Cybertron and its moons, ignited by sporadic energy pulses from Vector Sigma. These Sparks would be harvested, along with the metal they were born in, and take shape into protoforms. The Spark itself does not rest in any single, set segment of the body; rather, it suffuses its entire being. Upon termination, it has been quantified that a certain frequency of energy is released by a cybertronian; most believe that this is the Spark leaving its body. In cases of extremely long-lived bots, termination and loss of Spark is accompanied by an overall pallor of the body.

When Sparks are harvested from a hot spot, they are usually blue in color, but perhaps a few as one in a thousand are green. These Sparks, and subsequently the transformers forged from them, are commonly known as Point-One Percenters, and possess special properties.

Outliers

It is known that certain Sparks carry special powers, granting some cybertronians supermechanical abilities beyond their design. These few individuals are known as outliers. These powers are greatly varied, ranging from telepathy to invisibility.


	27. Gladiatorial Games

Gladiatorial Games

One of the most ancient sports on Cybertron, the actual origins of gladiatorial combat are lost to the mists of time. The most prevalent theory is that it started long before the creation of the city-states, in a barbaric era where the weak were segregated from the strong in conflicts that raged to the death, but this cannot be confirmed. Most gladiator arenas were located in the Badlands, with the largest and oldest being in Kaon.

In pre-war Cybertron, gladiatorial combat was illegal, but it was widely practiced by many lower caste bots who were put out of work due to social changes or lack of a useful alt mode. Civilians would flock to these matches, which were known for being highly dangerous and violent. Despite deeming it illegal, the senate knew that it would only gain more popularity if they tried to crack down on it, so they resolved to let it be, as some senators attended these matches themselves.

Megatron was a mech who became a gladiator after losing his job as an energon miner to the new automated mining systems that were popping up in the mining industry. He displayed an aptitude for combat and quickly rose through the ranks as Tarn's rising star. He also used is status in the arena to spread his words of revolution against functionism and the GCT. He inspired many bots, disaffected cybertronians of the lower castes, including a great number of actual gladiators who looked to Megatron as a hopeful symbol of a new, forward thinking era.

Megatron himself used the arena and his celebrity status to attract followers and spread his message; at first, these were clandestine gatherings but they rapidly became a planet-wide movement. Once the Decepticons declared war, gladiatorial combat fell by the wayside in favor of actually warfare.

Despite the destruction of the gladiatorial games (as well as most of Cybertron's societal infrastructure) the combat lives on in modified form. Some Decepticons use the arena to battle Autobot prisoners for amusement, or more commonly, force the prisoners to battle amongst each other.


	28. Headmasters

Headmasters

Headmasters were a type of Transformer that share a symbolic link between a smaller mechanoid that transforms into a head and a larger body. It is a unique mix of powerlinking and aspects of combiner technology.

Headmaster biology consists of a smaller body that becomes the head (headmaster) and a larger body (transector). The headmaster controls the transector like it's an extension of their own body, acting as the brain to control motor functions of the larger body. The transector channels the nerve impulses from the headmaster's brain module and the life energies of their Spark. Transectors also channels the T-cog in the headmaster's body as well, allowing it to transform. When the transector transforms, the head detaches and transforms into the headmaster and rides within the transector's alt mode. Should the transector be seriously damaged or even destroyed, though the headmaster will suffer some fatigue they won't die.

In fact, there are some rumors that a headmaster can even take control of other headless bodies by connecting their binary interface with that of the foreign body to use it as their own. This can potentially allow a headmaster to control anybody so long as it doesn't have a head or a Spark.


	29. Seekers

Seekers

The Seekers are an elite brotherhood of Cybertronians that have aerial alt modes. Though Cybertron has its own air defense force, much of their air superiority lends credit to the Seekers from Vos, who are an independent faction until the start of the Great War.

The group's origins come from an ancient order of cybertronians known as the Patterners. Led by Azumith, the Patterners chart the movements of the stars to foretell future events and carved designs into the surface of Cybertron that could be seen from the sky. They continued this sacred tradition all throughout the Age of Evolution, before settling down in the land that would later become the city-state Vos. Soon, the Patterners soon topped charting the stars, and carving designs into Cybertron and became stellar explorers, hunting down ancient relics and ruins for the betterment of Cybertron. This soon led to them becoming known as the Seekers.

The Seekers are composed of mainly Vos-born cybertronians with aerial alt modes (usually jets), but a small minority of Seekers were born outside of Vos. They are structured in a rigid hierarchy, with a commander on top and regional captains leading smaller squadrons of three to five Seekers. Curiously, most of the Seekers share the same body frame that was modeled after that of Azumith herself. There is not scientific explanation for this, though the Seekers see this as Azumith's spirit staying with them throughout the ages.

Seekers are fiercely loyal to themselves. Though they will work with other groups or governments, they are strongly independent and refuse to bow to anyone, be they Prime or warlord. Betraying the Seekers is a crime punishable by death on the spot and is considered a capital offense.


	30. Characters

Uprising-Characters

Orion Pax

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Iacon, Cybertron

Occupation: Police officer, Autobot leader

Bio: Orion Pax was born from a hot spot in Iacon, near Cybertron's northern hemisphere. Upon maturation, he would later attend and graduate from the Institute of Higher Programming and the Academy of Science and Technology. After graduation, he would become a police officer in the neighboring city-state of Rodion. He is a down to earth mech who believes that the path to making the world a better place is to fight for that peace and enforce it. To his friends, he seems like a serious mech with no sense of humor, but in reality he was simply jaded by his years on the force. Dealing with the regular crimes that took place in his city had blinded him to the growing unrest between the government and the lower caste public, until he encountered vids on an increasingly popular gladiator-Megatron. From that moment, Orion Pax was dragged into a conflict that would uproot his normal life.

Abilities: Orion Pax has slightly above average strength and intelligence and is skilled in close quarters combat, having trained in various physical techniques with his best friend Jazz. He is an adept tactician who keeps a calm head in tense situations, though his personal sense of justice and honor can get in the way of a mission's practicality. Aside from his standard issues blaster pistol, he is also equipped with a battle axe that was gifted to him by Jazz upon entering the police force. His skill with the weapon is uncanny and few could match him in close combat when he drew his axe in battle.

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Elita-1

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Iacon, Cybertron

Occupation: Data clerk, Autobot warrior

Bio: Elita-1 was born on the very edge of Iacon's territory, a bright Spark that matured faster than normal for a Spark that was forged. She was assigned to the data caste, working under the Archivist Alpha Trion at the Hall of Records as a data clerk. She became quick friends with Orion Pax, who was a frequent visitor to the Hall, and through him met Jazz, and the three were close. Elita-1 discovered her outlier powers by accident, as was common with outliers, and had resolved to hide them out of fear of being persecuted by the senate and Enforcers. As Orion is dragged deeper into the growing civil unrest, Elita-1 also finds her peaceful life uprooted as well.

Abilities: Elita-1 has no knowledge of combat techniques and sports average strength, but significant intelligence. Elita-1 is very skilled with data collection and organization, and can process information twice as face as a normal bot. She is an outlier with the power of telekinesis, the ability to move matter with her mind. Her skills with her powers are limited, as she rarely uses them, but she has shown the capacity to use her telekinesis to move objects, create force shields and barriers and even increase her physical strength for a limited time.

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Shadowkat

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Uraya, Cybertron

Occupation: Revolutionary, Autobot warrior

Bio: Shadowkat was born into a life of misfortune. She was forged with a beast mode, and later discovered her outlier powers while running from the Enforcers; two strikes against her. Life was hard, but she managed to eek out a living with her lover Blackbeetle, a fellow beast former and member of the revolutionary group, Dark Bird, led by Nightshade. Shadowkat wasn't the physically strongest, or the most intelligent, mostly relying on her powers to get her out of scraps with law enforcement as she performed operations with Blackbeetle. As the tensions between the government and public rise, Shadowkat's life is pushed to its breaking point as she must deal with the reality of war and its tragedies.

Abilities: Shadowkat is extremely fast and agile in both forms. She doesn't a lot of energon to operate like most bots, and her body channels the excess energy she produces towards her reflexes. Shadowkat is an outlier who can turn intangible, allowing her to pass through solid objects and people. When she phases through electronic or mechanical systems, she can cause them to malfunction and break down. She has trained in various melee weapons but is slightly skilled in ranged weaponry such as rifles and other guns.

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Roller

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Rodion, Cybertron

Occupation: Police officer, Autobot warrior

Bio: Roller used to work in the Rodion police force alongside Orion Pax. They were casual friends and drinking buddies who also worked well together on the job. He was Pax's go-to mech following his vigilante work behind the force's back to help bots that could not be helped themselves. He's known for being a chatty chappy, and likes to crack jokes and make banter in the middle of a fight when he's not serious. But despite his friendly nature and incredible physical strength, he's not that confident in his abilities. He'll focus on what others can do that he _can't_ , rather than what he can.

Abilities: Roller possess immense physical strength, able to bend and break through tough metals and possesses a highly durable exoskeleton, as well as a mighty point one percenter, Sparks that possess powerful properties that make the bots forged from them stronger than the common stock.

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Chromedome

Race: Headmaster, Cybertronian

Birthplace: Iacon, Cybertron

Occupation: Private investigator, Autobot warrior

Bio: Chromedome was constructed cold, his Spark was created from Spark splicing and placed in a cold protoform in cryogensis to mature and grow. His origins, along with his added perk of being a headmaster, made much of his early life difficult to live. It was only by the graces of the overseer of the law enforcement caste that he was allowed into Iacon's mechaforensics department. There he was partnered with Prowl, a hardlined stickler for authority and the rules, but their clashing personalities helped them work better together. Some think that their relationship is more than professional than Prowl would like to admit.

Abilities: As a headmaster, Chromedome's body can function without its head, which transforms into its own body with its own life functions. Should his larger body, called the transector, be damaged, his head will still survive on its own. Chromedome is skilled in analyzing and gathering information. He is equipped with two laser pistols and an electro-baton.

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Damus (aka Glitch)

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Mytharc, Cybertron

Occupation: Former musician, Autobot operative

Bio: Damus was forged in Mytharc, the industrial sector of Cybertron's "Badland" region. Not only was he born an exceptionally powerful point one percenter, he was also an outlier with a unique skill-deactivating non-living machinery through touch. Because of his tank alt mode, Damus was to be drafted into the militia, but he ran, intending to be a musician instead of a soldier. Through this, he would meet and fall in love with Nightshade, and they lived together in the Manganese Mountains for a time before moving to Kaon. A Functionist operative, Sourcefield, would kidnap Damus and subject him to the Empurata ritual that robbed him of his face and hands, and he would garner an intense hatred of the Functionists for taking away the only thing in the world that mattered to him-his music.

Abilities: Damus has above average strength and durability due to his alt mode configuration. He is a talented musician, able to play a wide range of instruments and has knowledge of various classical Cybertronian pieces that he can replay by memory. Damus is an outlier that can deactivate non-living machinery through touch, though he later learns how to do this at a distance. This power lasts for only as long as he focuses on that piece of machinery, and the main drawback is that it causes him pain each time he uses it.

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Alpha Trion

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Unknown

Occupation: Archivist

Bio: There are many mysteries surrounding the ancient mech known as Alpha Trion. The most common being his age, as he was reported to have witnessed many important and historical events in Cybertron's past. Alpha Trion has always remained in the shadows, observing the world as it passed him by, and later lamented at only being able to watch it all and do nothing. He is a wise, introspective mech whose mind contains vast amounts of knowledge from his years in the Hall of Records. As the data caste's second overseer, he was in charge of his caste's data monitoring and cataloguing. Though no one knows this, Alpha Trion had harvested the Spark of Orion Pax and raised him to maturity by himself, coming to see the mech as both a friend and a student. He also shares a strong connection to Elita-1, a data clerk under his care. Often known for his legendary wisdom and compassion, Alpha Trion is not above showing small signs of force to get his point across. He may be old, but his body hides a power no bot on Cybertron can identify.

Abilities: Alpha Trion's greatest weapon is his mind, and his words. His memory banks contain detailed knowledge about Cybertron's history, mythology and science. He has slightly above average strength and vast intelligence. Though he is no fighter, Alpha Trion is not afraid to fight if he has to, suggesting that he has some knowledge of fighting techniques. He always carries a large book called the Oracle with him that seems to detail past, present and future events, but only he can read the writing that appears in it.

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Megatron

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Tarn, Cybertron

Occupation: Energon miner, gladiator, Decepticon leader

Bio: Megatron was forged in the bronze spires of Erebus in the city state of Tarn. Upon taking his alt mode for the first time, he was assigned to the mining caste deep within the energon mines, harvesting raw energon crystals from the bowels of Cybertron in mostly unsafe conditions. There, he was under the care of an old miner named Terminus, whose treatment at the hands of their caste overseers, and the government in general, sparked Megatron's innate resentment of the senate's ratioist policies. Terminus would provide much inspiration for Megatron's earlier writings and essays, until he died in a cave-in that led to Megatron's sector losing their jobs to automated mining systems. Like many others of his caste, he joined the pit arena matches as a gladiator and quickly rose in fame, becoming a symbol of strength for many people without meaning to. As Megatron's popularity grew, so did his words spread far past Tarn's borders across Cybertron. This would gain him many enemies, mainly in the form of the senate and the fanatical Functionist Council. He would spearhead what would later be the Decepticon movement, and lead what would be known in history as the Uprising.

Abilities: Megatron has above average strength and resilience. He is a skilled fighter adept in both hand to hand combat and trained in a variety of weapons, both ranged and melee. He transforms into an all terrain tank used for demolition and excavating in the mines where he worked.

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Elmeth

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Harmonex, Cybertron

Occupation: Former priestess of the Order

Bio: Elmeth's past was tightly guarded secret that few knew, not even Megatron. What was known was that she was exiled from her home because of her bestial alt mode and joined the Order as its high priestess. Due to unknown reasons, she quit the Order and got into a serious battle that cost her one of her wings, leading to her running into Megatron outside of Tarn's slums. He nursed her back to help and she stayed by his side, enchanted by his dream of bringing the Golden Age back to Cybertron and eliminating the caste system. She put all her faith in him, and she in turn acted as his anchor to keep himself from falling too deep into the cruel world he was born in. But even though she was happy in Tarn with Megatron, she knew that her past with the Order was not going to lie buried beneath a layer of memories forever.

Abilities: Elmeth possesses no outstanding physical or mental abilities, but her beast mode possesses astounding physical strength and durability not usually seen in beast formers. Furthermore, Elmeth also possesses strange metaphysical powers that take shape in a type of psionic flame that emanates from her very being. This is no outlier power, rather it is something that she learned from her time within the Order, a skill known by one other bot in the group-Elmeth.

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Nightshade

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Styx, Cybertronian

Occupation: Dark Bird leader, Decepticon assassin

Bio: Nightshade was a beast former born in the desolate slum city of Styx, named Slaughter city for the unusual amount of murders that go on within the city's borders. Seeing no point in staying in such a cesspool of violence, Nightshade began working as a mercenary abroad. She later met and fell in love with Damus, a musician who was trying to avoid being drafted in to the military caste because of his alt mode. They would live out in the outskirts of Kaon together before Damus was kidnapped and subjected to the Empurata. This tragedy would cause Nightshade to wage her own personal war against the Functionists, forming the terrorist group Dark Bird and recruiting a small number of skilled and trusted allies, among them Soundwave, whose abilities and similar upbringing drew her to him. Together they would lead Dark Bird and later join the Decepticons as Megatron's inner circle.

Abilities: Nightshade is skilled in most forms of combat, and is a very powerful warrior. She is equipped with a pair of sharp swords and her right hand transforms into a built-in pulse cannon. Her beast mode is equipped with air to surface missile darts hidden under her wings and are guided by her laser guidance system in her optics. In this form, she can fly at mach 1 speeds and reconfigure her beast mode into a sleeker jet mode to decrease wind resistance.

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Soundwave

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Kaon, Cybertron

Occupation: Dark Bird member, Decepticon spymaster

Bio: Little is known about Soundwave's early life, other than he manifested his outlier powers not too long after he reached maturity. He was discovered, disoriented by his enhanced senses, in the slums of Kaon's Dead End by the animalistic Minicons, Laserbeak, Ravage and Buzzsaw. Ravage helped Soundwave come to grips with these abilities, which attracted a renowned warrior from the Sea of Rust-Bludgeon. After a harrowing period in his life, Soundwave would be sought out by Nightshade, who recruited him with the goal of abolishing Functionism and the council that enforced it. Through her and Dark Bird, he met Megatron, and together they would wage a war of equality on Cybertron.

Abilities: Soundwave possesses above-average strength and endurance compared to other Cybertronians of his stature. He is well-versed in Cybertronian small-arms and often makes use of a concussion rifle and an over the shoulder missile launcher. Soundwave's outlier powers grant him the ability of enhanced sensory perception. He is able to detect sounds, sights, smells, and transmissions far beyond that of normal cybertronians. At his ability's limits, he is able to detect electrical impulses within Cybertronian and organic brains, resulting in limited telepathy-though he cannot affect others' thoughts in this manner.

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Ember

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Unknown

Occupation: Order High Priestess

Bio: Not much is known about Ember other than that she was known amongst high class social circles for her shrewd religious practices. Ember worshipped what she believed to be the "true gods" of Cybertron, a pantheon of goddesses that were made of stone instead of metal, and wielded great powers. She formed the Order around these goddesses alongside Elmeth, who later abandoned the Order after forsaken their pantheon and beliefs. She leads the Order in the shadows of cybertronian society, taking note of anyone that catches her eye; Orion Pax, Megatron, Nightshade…but most especially Alpha Trion, with whom she had quarreled with many times in the past. Ember has connections that stem to all corners of Cybertron, though what she initially plans to do for her endgame is still a mystery.

Abilities: Ember is an extremely powerful femme. She is skilled in various martial arts and it's a skilled markswoman. Her main weapons are her pair of stilettos, which combine to form a bow that fires razor thin arrows that detonate on contact. Like Elmeth, she possesses great powers that do not lean towards the outlier breed. Her body generates intense flames that burn hot enough to melt metal into slag and utterly vaporize other materials. Ember also has the ability to control glass from raw materials, usually from the cinders she creates.

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Sentinel Prime

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Iacon, Cybertron

Occupation: Head of the Elite Guard, Prime

Bio: Sentinel was forged in the city-state of Iacon, and was inducted into the military caste. He was one of Iacon's strongest warriors, and a hardline soldier who took his job very seriously. For his service in protecting the state from domestic and alien threats, Sentinel soon promoted to head of security in civil defense. But despite his astounding service record, Sentinel was known for his general dislike of the Functionist Council, whose influence stretched all the way to Nominus Prime himself. Angered at how these religious fanatics were ruling over a planet that didn't need the guidance of some mythical being, Sentinel and some like minded senators decided to fix this problem themselves-and their actions would send Cybertron spiraling into chaos.

Abilities: Sentinel Prime is a skilled warrior trained in multiple weapons and close combat techniques. He is very strong and possesses above average endurance because of his thick armor. Sentinel is equipped with a pair of military-grade solar accelerators that fire compact blasts of heated particles that incinerate targets on contact. His main melee weapon is a dual-bladed sword that he can wield as one weapon or separate it into two swords. His vehicle mode is an armored truck that can be outfitted with heavy weapons like pulse cannons and missile launchers.

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Steelheart

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Tesarus, Cybertron

Occupation: Functionist leader

Bio: Much information on Steelheart's early life is a mystery, as she went to great lengths to erase anything that could be used against her. What is known is that she, along with Obliteration, Nightwielder, and Firefight were members of Nova Prime's inner circle, and were the main proprietors behind the seeds of the caste system Nova planned. When he disappeared, Steelheart continued working on the criteria for the GTC, controlling events behind the scenes to induct one of her supporters, Nominus, as the new Prime and have him enforce the caste system. Through him, Steelheart and her faction essentially ruled Cybertron and created a paramilitary force known as the Enforcers in order to make sure that the rules of the GCT were being followed to the letter. All of her planning, decisions and actions were fueled by the belief that what she was doing was the will of Primus, and to go against her word was tantamount to going against the Creator. It is a belief that she would take with her to the grave.

Abilities: Steelheart has above average strength, endurance and agility. Her main weapon is a tyrrenium broadsword that she uses to channel her powers and her alt mode, a supersonic aircraft, sports four plasma cannons. As an outlier, Steelheart's body can generate bioelectrical energy that she uses to increase her strength or fire as powerful energy blasts that distort matter. Released in great bursts, these energy waves could decimate large swaths of land in seconds.


	31. Section 3-Escalation

Section 3-Escalation

This section deals with the second book in the Titan series-Escalation. In this second "season" of Transformers Titan, the distant conflict between the Autobot and Decepticon forces of Optimus Prime and Megatron, known as the War for Terra, begins escalating as the battle and the planet Terra becomes known to the larger universe, further endangering the planet. As the pocket war grows in intensity, OZ becomes even more active in its mission to dominate the world and destroying the cybertronians. Autobots, Decepticons and even humans are pushed to their breaking point as death becomes a very real presence in the escalating conflict.


	32. Holomatter-Facsimile

Holomatter

Holomatter is a solid-light technology used mainly by the Autobots operating on alien worlds. Holomatter projectors can create facsimiles of native species which are too small or fleshy to mimic with their mechanical alt modes. The avatar isn't just an image to fool humans; it's also the Autobot equivalent of a remotely operated vehicle, allowing the Autobot to go places and perform actions that would otherwise be prevented by their size and need to camouflage their true mechanical identities. Having an avatar in a location is like having the Autobot being there himself. An avatar can function up to at least 400 miles way from the controlling Autobot, even when separated by solid walls.

The avatar is created and maintained by "holo-generators". They can cause the avatar to blink into sudden existence with no warning. Holomatter avatars can be intangible, or as solid as a real object. Holomatter avatars can carry a strong connection to the consciousness of its generating Autobot. Damage to the avatar can cause severe impairment to the controlling Autobot if their consciousness is not withdrawn in time. Holomatter disguises are also limited by their operator's understanding of the lifeform they mimic.

Facsimile Construct

Facsimile constructs are artificial copies of existing beings employed by Decepticon infiltration units. They are "bio-technological organisms" grown in fusion tubes, synthetic life forms created from cell samples culled from real people who the Decepticons kidnapped to act as templates. Once activated, the facsimiles look, think and act entirely like the people they were spawned from. Decepticons often plant long-term facsimiles back into civilization and they lived normal lives until their dormant programming was activated or they are recalled.

All facsimiles grown in the same fusion tube "batch" share the same cellular template. As such, Autobot units often hunt down a single facsimile to help locate other facsimiles posted on the planet.


	33. Size-mass change

Size/Mass Change

During conversion, many cybertronians are capable of shifting their size, growing larger or smaller to suit the needs of their mode. There are two primary methods by which this takes place: parts compression and mass conversion.

 **Parts Compression**

Parts compression is the standard technique for cybertronian who grow larger or smaller in their transformations. Its operation is relatively simple: in the smaller of the mechanoid's modes, the parts are designed to slide together in a tightly compressed fashion, filling in whatever space is available. This allows for the Cybertronian to have extra material physically stored within for use when converting to the larger mode. In that larger mode, the extra parts are shifted out, expanding their size considerably. This method does have its drawbacks, including the fact that the mchanoid in question often has weaker armor in the expanded mode. Also, this method is highly inefficient for extreme size changes.

 **Mass Conversion**

Mass conversion is the more complex of the two methods and it represents a significant genetic difference in those who possess it. In their standard size (for example, robot mode), the basic atomic components of Cybertronians who utilize mass conversion are at rest. However, when called upon to convert into a larger or smaller mode, the very subatomic particles that compose them restructure themselves even as the being's body changes its physical configuration. Much like a Cybertronian's physical form can change its shape and properties, so can the atomic building blocks of those who possess mass conversion abilities. These particles are hardwired to reconfigure according to a predetermined schematic, splitting up or combining to alter their own mass and density to match the needs of the mode in question.


	34. Vector Sigma

Vector Sigma

Deep within the very heart of Cybertron rests a vast supercomputer that maintains the planet's vital functions and sustenance of all mechanical life. This legendary supercomputer is known as Vector Sigma.

According to Cybertronian creation myth, when their gods, the Guiding Hand, went to war against one of their own, the god of death, the light-bringer Primus was wounded so badly that he had to merge with Cybertron itself in order to survive. He then reformatted himself into Vector Sigma, the life giving supercomputer in the core of the planet. Scientists and theoreticians have tried to discover the true origins and properties of Vector Sigma, but no one was able to really encounter the computer itself, as the planet's interior was ever shifting like a maze, with direct access being granted only to those it allows within its abode, the Primal Chamber. Religious outcry against tampering with Vector Sigma eventually forced the scientific castes of Cybertron to abandon their pursuit of Vector Sigma's secrets and settle on what they could learn on the surface.

Recent studies into Vector Sigma show that it is less like a simple computer and more like a sophisticated nerve center or brain, intuitively monitoring the needs of the planet and working to meet them. Vector Sigma was also crucial to cybertronian life on the planet; creating new life by periodically sending out pulsewaves that ignited new Sparks across the planet. Vector Sigma's destruction would spell the end of Cybertron and the eventual end of life on its surface.


	35. Inhuman

Inhuman

The inhumans are a subspecies of enhanced humans created artificially by the terrorist organization OZ. their unique physiology and powers stem from an alien formula discovered in an Arian ruin in Europa, and was exploited by the Zodiac general Pisces to create a new breed of super soldiers to use in OZ's domination of Terra.

The origin of the inhumans lies in an ancient tablet hidden deep inside a tomb in Emmeria, discovered by Theodore Harkins and his partner Stephanie Bergen, who was later contacted by Pisces (under the alias of Laguna Harvey) who provided the resources to translate the text. As the instructions were written in alien text, much of the tablet was left untranslated. The text was separated into three sections; the first dealt with production of the Catalyst, a crystalline compound solution created in a process similar to fermentation. The second part described finding people with the genetic disposition that allowed them to be transformed. The final part was the specific instructions for transforming humans. They experimented with the Catalyst by exposing it to volunteers, prisoners, spies, and traitors to see who had the Affinity. From those survivors they derived blood tests that could identify the gene and then used that on their personnel to locate potential inhumans.

Inhumans are basically upgraded humans, their bodies enhanced to peak perfection. The process includes placing the Catalyst on the subject's skin so that the solution may be absorbed into the body. This process is extremely painful, as the Catalyst dissolves into the person's skin and circulates throughout the body. Once inside the body, the Catalyst hacks into the subject's repair center-that part of the brain that keeps a blueprint of the body. When one is injured, the body refers to that part of the brain to heal itself properly. The Catalyst rewrites that blueprint and replaces it with its own, forcing the brain to think the body is wrong and has it remake itself. Fluids are expelled from the body during this period, and the body's functions are remade from the ground up (new organs are grown from the body's mass and bones are strengthened, etc). Only those with the gene can survive this process, and anyone else will be killed instantly.

Those that survive sport enhanced bodies; their muscle mass and bone density is increased, their senses are enhanced, their bodies have more stamina and don't produce as much fatigue poisons as regular humans do, and their bodily functions and almost immune to terrestrial diseases. They are free from the limitations that plague a normal human.

In addition to these increased physical abilities, the inhumans also have a power known as the Distortion Halo. The distortion halo is a ball of energy that warps matter on contact. It causes immense damage on contact, and the strength of the halo's energy output depends on how strong the inhuman in question is. Some can only generate one halo at a time, while others can create a chain of them that reaches long distances. But using the halo tires out an inhuman; they must need time to rest and recharge, or else they will cause their bodies to destabilize and explode like a living bomb.

Inhumans need time for their powers to fully mature after transformation, and thus even after the transformation process is complete, they are still vulnerable to the common plagues of man. For most people, only one Catalyst is needed for full maturation, but there are a rare few who can take multiple Catalysts at once. These inhumans are extremely powerful, harboring immense strength and power at their disposal, as well as great endurance and durability. OZ calls these gods among gods, Ubers.


	36. Size List

Scale List part 1

Size was the last thing I was thinking of when I started writing Transformers Titan, but when I started reading the Hasbro Heroes Sourcebooks and saw the outrageous (in my opinion) sizes of Transformers like Arcee, Jazz and Optimus, I started putting more consideration into how tall the bots are in my stories. IDW G1 seems content with having the bots be that large despite the normal sized vehicles they change into (I just learned that Jazz is 32 feet tall, and he changes into a sports car!), and being the realist that I am, I wanted the size of the bots to be realistic to a degree. Robots that turn into cars and trucks cannot be around 30-40 feet tall on average. Seeing as the movies have the best realistic sizes for their bots in conjunction to their alt modes, I'm basing this list of mine on the movie size charts from . If you have any problem with these sizes, please talk to me about it, because I'm not good at this at all.

Autobots

Optimus Prime-28 feet

Prowl-17 feet

Jazz-16 feet

Ironhide-25 feet

Ratchet-20 feet

Bulkhead-24 feet

Arcee-15 feet

Wheejack-15 feet

Bumblebee-14 feet

Jetfire-33 feet

Moonracer-15 feet

Tomahawk-27 feet

Rodimus-16 feet

Sunstreaker-16 feet

Flashpoint-19 feet

Springer-18 feet

Elita-1-17 feet

Preceptor-18 feet tall

Chromia-16 feet

Firestar-17 feet

Flareup-15 feet

Glyph-13 feet

Grimlock-38 feet

Slug-29 feet

Sludge-39 feet

Swoop-26 feet

Snarl-28 feet

Decepticons

Megatron-35 feet

Nightshade-22 feet

Soundwave-22 feet

Starscream-30 feet

Thundercracker-30 feet

Skywarp-30 feet

Lugnut-38 feet

Blackout-33 feet

Barricade-16 feet

Knockout-16 feet

Rumble-11 feet

Frenzy-11 feet

Ravage-7 feet

Laserbeak-7 feet

Buzzsaw-7 feet

Flamewar-14 feet

Dreadwing-32 feet

Skyquake-32 feet

Demolishor-25 feet

Shockwave-35 feet

Other Cybertronians

Ember-26 feet

Infernocus-42 feet

Thornment-17 feet

Ashling-15 feet

Feint-16 feet

Bludgeon-28 feet


	37. Cybertronian Martial Arts

Cybertronian Martial Arts

There are several forms of hand to hand combat on Cybertron dating back to ancient times. Their exact origins are undetermined, but they are powerful tools who know how to wield them. Some of those practiced by remaining Cybertronian martial artists are:

 **Circuit-Su**

Circuit-Su focuses on the training of the mind as much, if not more, than the physical body. A highly mental art, its students believe that by harnessing their personal energy they can bend others to their will. Practitioners are characterized by their solidarity and iaconic natures, and the Circuit-Su combat techniques focus on turning an aggressor's attack against them. It is rumored that advanced practitioners can actually call up their Spark energy to act as physical bolts of energy when attacking foes.

 **Crystalocution**

Perhaps the most physical of the cybertronian martial arts, Crystalocution is primarily concerned with dominance in basic hand to hand combat. Its practitioners eschew the spiritual conditioning of other martial arts in favor of physically conditioning themselves to perfection. Crystalocution attacks focus on a series of movements to determine and target an opponent's weak points; such assault trigger pressure points in the crystalline structure of a structure/opponent, shattering them.

 **Diffusion**

No longer a strictly defined discipline, Diffusion is now the catch-all term for a series of non-lethal movements traditionally favored by the Autobots. These defensive maneuvers are primarily designed to serve the goal of self-defense, dissipating an enemy's aggressive energies. As the war developed, some Autobots have also effectively adapted the technique to redirect an opponent's hostile overtures into a powerful retaliatory attack. In its purest form, a true master of Diffusion can repel all physical attacks without putting himself in danger of permanently damaging his attackers.

 **Metallikato**

Metallikato is perhaps the most arcane and rare of the Cybertronian combat arts. It incorporates elements of the mental conditioning of Circuit-Su, along with the hand to hand combat of Crystalocution, but it also mixes in a strong element of spirituality, encouraging practitioners to attune themselves with powers higher than themselves to attain their goals. Metallikato has a strict code of ethics that its students are required to follow in order to achieve true mastery. The combat attacks range between standard hand to hand to edged and blunt weapon attacks, providing practitioners with versatility in battle that is difficult to match. Although it emphasizes variety as a different means to superiority, master of edged-weapon combat is the primary hallmark of those who study Metallikato.

 **Pit Fighting**

Pit fighting is one of the most brutal and barbaric attack forms on Cybertron, used by the more powerful gladiators to dominate their foes in battle. The technique is largely improvisational, but it hinges on a series of ruthless maneuvers that maximizes the attacker's willingness to employ lethal finishing moves to win a battle. Megatron and Grimlock are some of the most skilled masters of this attack method.


	38. Moonbase Alpha

Moonbase Alpha

When the engines of the Minicons' starship, the Exodus, malfunctioned, the ship was pulled out of hyperspace in Terra's orbit. The ship crashed into Luna, cracking in half, with the rear of the ship being stranded on the moon and the other falling to Terra. While half of the Minicons were put into stasis pods and launched all over the planet, the remaining Minicon population was stuck on Luna with half a ship. Most were distressed about their predicament, but one was ecstatic: Dualor. Long seeking an opportunity to assert himself, he took this one gladly. Gathering up the shaken Minicons, he rallied them to his side and quickly developed a rescue and reconstruction effort. He fashioned the remains of the craft into a fortress, the defensive and offensive capabilities of which he constantly upgraded.

Far more aggressive than the average Minicon, Dualor created a militaristic lifestyle on his Moonbase than many were accustomed to. This chafed some of the more peaceful Minicons, but most were fearful to act against him because of his firm hold on the grateful majority. Dualor allowed the Decepticon Minicon spies amnesty in return for acting as his secret police, and he swiftly disregarded any attempts to contact the Autobots for aid. He was a firm believer in Minicon independence and discredited Sparkplug's association with Optimus Prime as treachery to his own kind. It wouldn't be until 2006 when the stasis locked Minicons on Terra were reawakened that Dualor would make an attempt to retrieve them.

Moonbase Alpha was built to be both a haven and a fortress, complete with its own defense systems and stealth technology. It was constructed with materials from the half destroyed Exodus and materials mined from the moon itself. The base is built into mountain on the dark side of Luna, hidden from prying eyes and disguised to fit the scenery. There are an assortment of hidden weapons all along its perimeter, pulse cannons, particle cannons, laser emitters, and a collection of automated mines for aerial bombardment. The interior is full of living quarters, security systems and a main control center that operates the base's power supply via the solar array hidden under the surface on the light side of the moon. Such measures were designed to keep any wayward Cybertronians (and later humans) at arm's length with lethal force.

Occupants:

 **Destruction Team**

Dualor

Drill Bit

Bonesaw

 **Extreme Competition Team**

Breakage

Kickflip

Mudbath

Heavy Metal (gestalt)

 **Air Military Team**

Terradive

Gunbarrel

Stormwing (Armada Thunderwing)

 **Race Team**

Indy (Armada Mirage)

Downshift

Forza (Armada Dirt Boss)

 **Adventure Team**

Dune Runner

Iceberg

Glacier (Armada Ransack)

 **Emergency Team**

Firebot

Makeshift

Gauge (Armada Prowl)

 **Space Team**

Astroscope

Payload

Sky Blast

 **Street Speed Team**

Backtrack

Opal

Spiral

 **Sea Exploration Team**

Oceanglide

Waterlog

Stormcloud

 **Free Agents**

Rook

Crosswise

Overload

Skid-Z

Zapmaster

Side Burn

Thunder (Armada Inferno)

Fatale (Armada Nightscream)


	39. Characters ES-Autobots

Escalation-Characters: Autobots

Elita-1

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Iacon, Cybertron

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Autobot commander, Valkyrie squad leader

Bio: Elita-1 is the accomplished leader of the Valkyries, an all-female team of Autobot warriors of varying skills and is a high ranking member of Optimus Prime's inner circle. She is a kind, almost regal femme who is a natural leader on the battlefield; she shows kindness to her friends and no mercy to her enemies. For many years she lead her Valkyries through many victories and battles, losing only a few bots at a time in heavy wartime situations, but when the Autobots were pushed against the wall, Elita-1 took up the mantle as commander in chief and led a strong Autobot resistance that pushed back the Decepticons from their territory and allowed the war to come to a stalemate. Her many victories against the Decepticons, most notably the elite forces of generals Strika and Obsidian, have her to many on both sides calling her the "Goddess of Victory". But though she exudes and aura of strength, Elita-1 is tired and exhausted from countless battles in this seemingly endless war. She wants it to end one day, but most of all, she wants to see her lover-Optimus Prime-alive and well again in the future.

Abilities: Elita-1 is accomplished hand to hand fighter and is exceptionally strong and durable for her size. She is cunning and possesses a keen tactical intellect that is matched by few in the Autobot ranks. Her alt mode, a moderately armored car, can move at high speeds and possess built-in weaponry such as pulse cannons, a frag grenade launcher in her hook, and tire spikes designed to travel over uneven ground. Elita-1 is also an outlier with the power of telekinesis-she has the power to control matter with her mind. This allows her to lift and move objects, fire force blasts, create force shields and barriers and levitate herself and others to fly. At her strongest, Elita-1 can uproot large swaths of land with a wave of her hand and even dismantle a bot through sheer concentration. Her main weapon is a custom photon cannon designed after Optimus Prime's ion cannon and a crossbow that fires electrically charged metal stakes at high speeds.

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Chromia

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Praxus, Cybertronian

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Valkyrie second in command, arms master

Bio: Chromia is Elita-1's trusted lieutenant and best friend. She's always been there for her since before the war started and holds onto her position as Valkyrie SIC with an iron grip. As Ironhide's spouse, she matches his temper with her own and is not one to mince her words, even if they seem offensive to some. She displays a proud bravado that few openly admit to having and this courage has led her to commit many acts of bravery that has earned her the respect of many veterans such as Kup. Though she is headstrong and boisterous, Chromia is a trusted friend of many, and is very supportive of those who need her help.

Abilities: Chromia is the physically strongest of the Valkyries. Her body is surprisingly durable due to her thicker than average armor coating. This doesn't limit her speed or agility, but she is regarded as above average for a femme of her stature. Chromia is a distinct leader who takes over in Elita-1's absence, but she lacks her friend's cunning guile, instead opting to charge headfirst with heavy bombardments when the situation calls for it. She sports various hand-held armaments, but her arms transform into electron agitators that fire condense bolts of energy. Her alt mode-a motorcycle- is extremely fast, and has reinforced tires that negate blowouts on debris littered grounds.

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Firestar

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Yuss, Cybertron

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Rescue

Bio: Firestar is a femme who cares not for the mysteries of the universe; she's a gal who lives in the here and now. She is fearless when rescuing innocents, be they robotic or organic in origin, and has no problem entering highly volatile situations such as raging fires and intense firefights without any regard for her personal safety. While a risk taker, Firestar is no fool and her daring rescues are actually well thought out and executed to maximize their potential for success, which is usually measured in lives saved-including her own.

Abilities: Firestar is the most durable of the Valkyries. Her armor in both modes is coated with a ceramic metal alloy that is heat and blast resistant, much like her friend and colleague Inferno. While she sacrifices speed and agility, her hyper-quick decision making abilities making abilities save her in most situations. Her arms are equipped with flamethrowers that reach 2000 degrees Celsius. Her alt mode is a sports car that runs on self-produced fuel to generate more energy.

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Flashpoint

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Nova Cronum, Cybertron

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Medical officer

Bio: Some wish Flashpoint's bedside manner were as delicate as her surgical abilities. However, the enviable level of her skill more than compensates for her gruff demeanor. She is an intelligent femme who graduated the top of her class at Protihex Medical Institute, but the sudden outbreak of war had forced her to enlist as an Autobot medic to the regional unit stationed in the Torus States. Because of her standoffish attitude, Flashpoint hasn't made many friends before joining the Valkyries, and her teammates are doing their best to make her more social in that regard.

Abilities: Flashpoint has above average intelligence and is trained in various medical arts. Many of her tools are integrated into her body, so she has room to store more.

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Road Rage

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Polyhex, Cybertron

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Security

Bio: Road Rage is one of the older members of the Valkyries. Having worked as an advisor for the senate of her home state of Polyhex, her diplomatic skills have proved crucial to the team as the face girl for the Autobots. She is well versed in alien cultures and generally cheerful, making her a very good diplomat. However, a chronic short-out she was born with causes a drastic personality change when she changes forms. In car mode, she is a snarling, swerving speed machine with little regard-if not utter contempt-for anyone else on the road with her. This is pretty embarrassing for her once she reverts to robot mode.

Abilities: Road Rage is knowledgeable in various alien cultures and customs, and is a skilled public speaker and diplomat. She is trained in various cybertronian arms, and has average combat skills, most notably the Autobot technique of Diffusion. In vehicle mode, she is armed with a six barreled missile pod that fires rockets created from raw materials in her body.

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Glyph

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Praxus, Cybertron

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: One of the brightest minds on Cybertron, Glyph is an expert in data encryption, languages and forensic science. She has a highly exacting eye for even the most minute detail, and, as an archaeometrist, a near-insatiable desire to learn more about alien cultures, current and past. To her, being stranded on an alien planet among its people is a boon, not a curse. She has a tendency to come across as a bit stuffy, but she seems sociable enough.

Abilities: Glyph possesses little to nothing in the way of combat abilities, but she has above average processing speed, allowing her to think and react faster than a normal bot. she has acute visual sensors designed to catch tiny details many would overlook, and her abilities in data manipulation, virus protection, decryption, puzzle solving and cyber warfare is rivaled by few in the Autobot forces.

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Lancer

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Uraya, Cybertron

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Scientist

Bio: Though she was born in Uraya, Lancer's abilities in material sciences led her to spending most of her life among the many famous scientists in Nova Cronum. She was exceptional for someone her age, and her passion for the subject was infectious. But working alongside so many other more well known scientists made her insecure, and even during the war, she still considers her discoveries sub-par at best, despite what her friends say. She's quiet, but strong willed, and passionate about the pursuit of knowledge, but her confidence issues often lead to her remaining quiet when she should speak up.

Abilities: Lancer has above average strength and speed, but is very intelligent. She is skilled in most material sciences, and is highly trained in the medical arts as well. She is trained with a laser crossbow, and various melee weapons, namely an energo-sword and a photon shield.

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Greenlight

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Iacon, Cybertron

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Scientist/pilot

Bio: Greenlight had always wanted to fly. She often spent her days on the many catwalks and highways of Iacon staring at the horizon, looking up at the clouds and staring up at bots with aerial modes with barely disguised envy. Born in the Functionist era, she was restricted to jobs related to her alt mode, though her skills in the scientific field were notable enough for her to get a job as one of the design teams for Nova Cronum's Crystal City reconstruction project. It was only when the war began that she got to pilot various aircraft, namely shuttles and transports in the line of fire. She is the Valkyrie's designated pilot, the best on the team, but her outrageous aerial maneuvers often have her teammates worried for their lives.

Abilities: Greenlight is a femme with average strength and above average intelligence. She is trained in most cybertronian small arms, with her signature weapon being a battle axe. She is highly trained in operating and repairing various spacecraft. Greenlight also majors in various scientific fields like chemistry and geology.

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Preceptor

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Tesarus, Cybertron

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Scientist

Bio: Regardless of what he's doing, the main thing Perceptor seeks out of any activity is knowledge. He'll try to turn anything into a scientific exercise that can help him learn even more about the fascinating universe around him. His tendency to break everything down into dry facts that excite only him often bores his comrades, but they are still fond of the friendly intentions of the dedicated and brilliant scientist. Perceptor's main fault, if it can be called that, is being too focused on his work. He rarely finds time to break away from his diligent studies to take part in social activities with his comrades. For Perceptor, his work is his play.

Abilities: Perceptor possesses above-average strength, but his most powerful asset is his amazing intelligence. He is one of the most brilliant scientific minds on Cybertron, with a specialty in metallurgy, molecular chemistry, and electrical engineering. In microscope mode he can function as a standard optical magnifier or an electron microscope, with a maximum magnification capacity of 1,000,000 times. His lens can adapt for offensive capabilities, becoming a powerful light cannon that can blast a hole through concrete from over 2,000 miles away. He can use the cannon offensively in both modes, including as a stationary cannon when he's a microscope. In robot mode, he is also armed with a concussion blaster and rocket launcher.

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Springer

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Altihex, Cybertron

Faction: Autobot/Wrecker

Occupation: Wrecker commander

Bio: Springer is an easy-going Autobot that is very popular amongst his comrades. He is a "jack of all trades" that excels at pretty much any task set before him, particularly battlefield combat. He is brave and confident in his abilities which add credibility to his role as commander of the guerilla warfare unit known as the Wreckers. His cool demeanor even in the face of heavy fire often calms his subordinates and assures them that he has everything under control. As a Wrecker, Springer is often put in situations that challenge even his considerable skillset, which suits him fine. There is nothing Springer enjoys more than a challenge; the more dangerous, the better.

Abilities: Springer is a rare breed of Cybertronian known as a triple changer, a bot that has two alt modes; a rocket car and a helicopter. He can switch between each mode twice as fast as a typical cybertronian. Springer is an accomplished weapons specialist and has mastered many forms of hand-to-hand combat. In robot mode, powerful servos in his les allow him to leap .5 miles straight up. He wields an energy saber that can slice through concrete and a cannon that can fire laser blasts or produce powerful wind funnels. His rocket car mode is armored like a tank and his thrusters can get him up to speeds of 5000mph. his helicopter mode utilizes his thrusters to let him fly and maneuver like a jet for short distances.

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Tomahawk

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Petrex, Cybertron

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Aerial defense

Bio: Tomahawk is the ideal soldier. A member of the Autobot Elite Guard, she follows strict military protocol, and will follow her superior officers' orders without question…within reason, at least. Raised in Petrex, she was taught that order was important above all else, and she supports this especially in a war time setting. Disorder among troops in the heat of battle meant certain death, and Tomahawk was not ready to meet her maker. Many think this is funny, seeing as Tomahawk is dating Rodimus of all people, and he's the embodiment of disorder and the opposite of military discipline. Still, they share a close bond, and Tomahawk welcomes the breath of fresh air Rodimus brings into her life.

Abilities: Tomahawk is highly skilled in aerial warfare and close quarters combat. In helicopter mode, she is armed with 35mm machine guns, air to air missiles, and a thermal cannon. The roto-blades can eat through metal (useable in both modes), and her ammo is produced from the raw material in her body. This mode is also invisible to most optic sensors and scanners.

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Rodimus

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Nyon, Cybertron

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Autobot Cavalier

Bio: The charismatic Rodimus has to shed a lot of his youthful immaturity if he truly plans to follow in the footsteps of great Autobots like Optimus Prime. Rodimus has a definite core of goodness in him that makes him easy to like, but he is also prone to taking rash action or making disrespectful statements without even thinking. It's his hot-headed nature that differentiates him from the thoughtful Firebolt, his on/off Minicon partner.

Abilities: Rodimus has slightly above-average strength, average intelligence and excellent endurance. His maximum speed in vehicle mode is 330 mph, which he can maintain for 150 miles. In robot mode, the pipes on his forearms can emit bolts of static electrostatic energy.

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Sunstreaker

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Kalis, Cybertron

Faction: Autobot

Occupation: Warrior

Bio: Sunstreaker is a jerk. While his superior fighting skills are irreplaceable in an already strained Autobot army, many of his comrades would nevertheless rather see Sunstreaker leave, or at the very least, have his vocoder irreparably damaged. There are few who work well with him, but on his brother Sideswipe truly gets along with him. It's not that Sunstreaker is sympathetic to the Decepticon cause, quite the contrary; he hates everything they stand for. But Sunstreaker's belief in his own superiority is all consuming and his vanity often results in put downs to others. Despite his flaws, Sunstreaker occasionally has moments of valor and bravery that momentarily overshadows his perpetual arrogance. While he won't freely admit it, Sunstreaker greatly admires the strength and abilities of his current leader, Optimus Prime, which may be the only factor that keeps him around as an Autobot.

Abilities: Sunstreaker has only slightly above average strength and durability, but he is very fast, accurate and methodical and can be as ruthless as most Decepticons. He is also an exceptional fighter, the result of his many years spent in the same gladiatorial areas as the mighty Megatron himself, honing his craft-mortal combat. Sunstreaker wields an electron-pulse rifle that fires 300 pulses of charged particles per minute as well as heat-seeking, ground to air high-yield proton missiles.

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Grimlock

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Simfur, Cybertron

Faction: Dynobot, Autobot

Occupation: Dynobot commander

Bio: Grimlock is one of the most powerful Autobots ever forged. His strength and ferocity in battle is almost as legendary as his pride and arrogance. Long ago, Grimlock was born with a primal beast mode, and he formed a team of mechs like him into an elite cadre of the Primal Vanguard known as the Dynobots. Time and time again, they were victorious in many battles, further adding to Grimlock's own notions of invincibility. But on one fateful mission, an encounter with the ancient Seeker Sprawl left one of the Dynobots dead, and the other five mutated by tainted energon. Stricken with bestial bouts of rage and unable to scan any alt modes, Grimlock suffers a fate most would consider hell-but the Dynobots have been through hell and back, and it's definitely not the worst thing he's experienced in his lifetime.

Abilities: Grimlock's strength and durability is astounding, rivaling that of Optimus Prime himself. Due to the deliberate mutation from tainted energon, his T-Cog is unable to scan new alt modes, leaving him stuck in his cybertronian beast mode. Grimlock is a master of all known cybertronian ranged and melee weapons, and has demonstrated a preference for using a flaming energo-sword that can slice through six feet of steel. His beast mode resembles a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and is extremely powerful, with sharp teeth and claws that can rend even the toughest armor plating to pieces. In this mode, Grimlock has the ability to breathe fire.

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Slug

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Kalis, Cybertron

Faction: Dynobot, Autobot

Occupation: Demolitions

Bio: Slug is disruptive and foul-tempered, even compared to his comrades. Anarchic, he rejects any orders that don't come from Grimlock. Slug is always angry, and only violence seems to release his pent-up energies. Bringing a Decepticon to a grisly end is one of the few things that can lift his spirits. If he has enemies to smash, Slug wanders off to punch holes in the sides of mountains or even fellow Autobots whom he finds irritating. Concerned Autobots who inquire about Slug's well being become victims of his fiery breath, or worse. Only his fellow Dynobots seem exempt from his perpetual rage, and even they aren't sure what causes it. Other comrades have wondered as well, questioning why Slug fights for the Autobots at all. Slug's answer is not forthcoming.

Abilities: Slug possesses incredible physical strength and is capable of shattering an entire reinforced concrete building with a wave of his hand or nudge of his head in beast mode. His beast mode resembles a Triceratops, and sports a 3,000 degree centigrade flamethrower located in his mouth; its effective range is 80feet. In robot mode, he wields an energo-sword and an electron gun that fires particle bursts that can tear through most cybertronian armor.

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Sludge

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Nova Cronum, Cybertron

Faction: Dynobot, Autobot

Occupation: Logistics

Bio: Sludge is a very simple Autobot with very simple needs. He loves to stomp around recklessly all day then relax all night in a nice hot oil bath. He is one of the nicer Dynobots, next to Swoop, and he doesn't really carry a perpetual chip on his shoulder lie Grimlock, Slug or Snarl. That being said, he is easily manipulated into following whatever actions his comrades take, and will play along even if he doesn't fully understand the situation he's placed in. sludge is willing to do pretty much anything that will allow him to get back to his beloved oil treatments, and if that means smashing Decepticons or annoying Autobots, then that's what he'll do.

Abilities: Sludge is the largest Dynobot, and the strongest after Grimlock. His beast mode resembles a brontosaurus. His hide is extremely thick in both modes and he can fire charged proton blasts from his mouth in beast mode. Additionally, Sludge can produce intense seismic shockwaves within his body channeling them through his feet. One stomp from his foot in beast mode exerts 40,000 pounds per square inch of pressure and can shatter a steel reinforced bridge with one hit. His design makes him excellent for underwater, swamp and jungle combat. Sludge carries a magnetic war hammer and a seismic rifle that fires compressed sound waves at its target.

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Snarl

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Polyhex, Cybertron

Faction: Dynobot, Autobot

Occupation: Desert warrior

Bio: Snarl often stays silent, biding his time unhappily. This loner prefers to let others handle the strategic side of warfare and considers it his job to just go wherever Grimlock tells him and fight. This makes him the Dynobot commander's favorite on the battlefield. Separated from the beloved metallic plains of his homeworld and trapped within a beast mode that he finds tragically hideous, Snarl's sole respite and joy comes from being locked in do or die combat with the only things he hates more than himself: the Decepticons.

Abilities: Snarl is already physically very strong. He is the fourth strongest Dynobot and is capable of increasing his strength capabilities even further. His beast mode resembles a stegosaurus. Panels on his back in both modes convert solar power into energy that augments his strength, making him ten times more powerful. In beast mode, he can even channel his energy through his tail into focused blasts. Even under non-augmented circumstances, his tail can shatter a 20 square foot concrete block with one swipe. His armor is very dense and angled to be especially effective at deflecting missile fire. In robot mode, he wields an energo-blade, missile launcher and long range laser rifle.

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Swoop

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Altihex, Cybertron

Faction: Dynobot, Autobot

Occupation: Bombardier

Bio: Swoop is the most affable of the Dynobots and often acts as their liaison to the other Autobots. Even though he's able to get along with them better than the rest of the Dynobots, he still agrees with his comrades' belief that Optimus Prime is an ineffective leader. Some of the Autobots are put off by Swoop's fearsome dinosaur mode, and his loyalty to his team, both o which often disguise his seemingly out of place kindness and good-natured personality. This secretly saddens Swoop, but his sorrow is outweighed by his dedication to the Dynobot squad and their goals. Swoop has managed to turn his bestial form into an advantage on the battlefield, where he has become an expert at using his diving attacks and disconcerting battle cries to confuse and scatter his terrified Decepticon targets.

Abilities: Swoop has above average strength, but he is still the weakest Dynobot. His beast mode resembles a Pterodactyl. In this mode he can soar at speeds up to 250 miles per hour for 700 miles at a time. He is a top-notch flyer and his maneuverability is excellent. Swoop is also a fully trained pilot. He has two wing-mounted missile launchers with air to air and air to ground capabilities. Each missile has a blast force equivalent to 5,000 lbs of TNT and they are extremely accurate at ranges up to 8 miles away. He can also used the launchers in robot mode, as well as a thermal sword that heats up to 4,000 degrees centigrade, and is capable of slicing through most Decepticon armor plating.


	40. Characters ES-Decepticons

Characters-Decepticons

Dreadwing

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Tesarus, Cybertron

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Aerospace commander

Bio: Dreadwing, the twin brother of Skyquake was a Seeker captain born in Tesarus, one of the few of the current generation that was forged instead of cold constructed. Though he adheres to the Seeker code of loyalty to their own kind, Dreadwing is intensely loyal to Megatron and his cause, though his loyalty to his twin may be stronger. In addition to his calculating tactics, cool-minded leadership, and fierce loyalty, Dreadwing has outwardly shown a sense of integrity not normally characterized by the Decepticon agenda. During situations of dwindling odds, Dreadwing considers _all_ possibilities within battle, and is wary of the potential consequences of hasty decisions. He will even fight alongside the Autobots if surviving the situations calls for it. In order to secure a favorable outcome or the welfare of his sovereign lord, the dreaded Seeker will save face, or indeed the Sparks of a few Autobots, if it means a clean victory and living to battle another day.

Abilities: Dreadwing is a skilled warrior with above average intelligence and strength. Not only is he a master tactician, he is also an explosives expert, equipped with a wide variety of custom made bombs used in both robot and vehicle mode. His alt mode is a modified F-16 fighter jet and can reach Mach 2 speeds within seconds of take-off. He is equipped with dual laser cannons, cluster bombs and six heat seeking missiles. Dreadwing is also skilled in a variety of melee weapons, namely his foldable sword he carries on his person.

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Skyquake

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Tesarus, Cybertron

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Air warrior

Bio: Skyquake is a soldier in the Decepticon Seeker armada and Dreadwing's twin brother. Like his brother, he is fiercely loyal to Megatron, disregarding the usual Seeker code of staying loyal to their own kind. He has a problem with authority and lacks the tact and control is brother possesses, and has a history of attacking superior officers to don't follow Megatron's will. His short temper also extends to those who are disloyal and traitors are to be killed on the spot. Otherwise, he's actually a polite guy when it comes down to it, preferring to stick to himself. He's succinct and will not mince his words. It's nothing personal, it's just his duty towards his one true master.

Abilities: Skyquake is a powerful warrior with above average strength and durability. In robot mode, he is equipped with an auto-cannon that fires 30 mm armor piercing rounds and two steel blades mounted in his wrists. In jet mode, he can reach Mach 3 speeds within seconds and has six heat seeking missiles as well as two laser cannons. Skyquake is skilled in melee combat, but does not know any specific martial arts or fighting style.

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Demolishor

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Stanix, Cybertron

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Battalion commander

Bio: Demolishor is not the brightest soldier in Megatron's ranks, but he is one of the most reliable. He holds very true to Spark values concerning loyalty and devotion to the Decepticon cause; to him, a leader is to be obeyed without hesitation, and he will give his all on any battlefield he may be ordered onto. His values, however, sometimes collide with Megatron's exceedingly violent methods, and though Demolishor does not necessarily resent his leader for sometimes acting contrary to what he sees as the principles of his faction, he does occasionally find himself struggling to reconcile the two. Ultimately, Demolishor may find that devotion to the Decepticon way of life is not the same thing as devotion to Megatron.

Abilities: Demolishor is a seasoned Decepticon general skilled in battlefield tactics and ground warfare. He is very strong, and his dense armor allows him to shrug off most light ballistic and energy attacks. His alt mode is an anti-aircraft missile tank that has four laser cannons, two on each side that can fire pulse blasts that are capable of burning through most armor. In robot mode, he can fire incendiary rounds from the hollow points in his fingers.

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Thornment

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Altihex, Cybertron

Faction: The Order

Occupation: Priestess

Bio: Not much is known about Thornment's early life, only that she was one of the first to join Ember's Order when the organization was just getting off the ground. Thornment is a sadistic, savage femme who doesn't hold back in a battle, even at the risk of overexerting herself. She is a sly person, and coats her words in honey to make them sound appealing. Thornment is calm most of the time, but when angered or insulted, she becomes unhinged and goes on a rampage, killing everything in her sights without pause. Such rage has often lead to her being held at arm's length by her comrades, and has gotten her in trouble with Ember more than once.

Abilities: Thornment is a skilled fighter with extraordinary agility and above average intelligence, though she lacks sufficient armor to withstand heavy long range fire. She is trained in various martial arts, but her main form of combat is an altered form of Diffusion that deals with using her strength to constrict her opponent's body parts and crush them. Her alt mode is an arrow shaped aircraft that can split apart to reveal a 30mm beam cannon at the center. In robot mode, she has two thorny vine-like whips that can channel huge amounts of bioelectricity into her foes.

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Bludgeon

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Unknown, Cybertron

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Electric warrior

Bio: Bludgeon is calm and prepared, always giving the disconcerting impression that he knows something no one else does. He frightens other Decepticons with his emotionless demeanor during combat. But on the inside, Bludgeon harbors a prolonged agony that he cannon rid himself of; an agony brought about by intermittent dreams that strike him every night. Bludgeon adheres to an archaic cod which only he understands. He feels that each worthy he conquers adds to his own abilities, bringing him closer to his ideal of the "ultimate warrior". His superstitious ways and eerie religious practices may disturb many Decepticons, but none can deny his effectiveness in combat. Nor would they try, lest he turn his seemingly supernatural abilities against them.

Abilities: Bludgeon is one of the most skilled hand to hand combatants on Cybertron and is a master of the near forgotten art of Metallikato. He is armed with two high powered energo-swords and an accompanying shield. In tank mode, he can fire electric "fireballs" with a range of over 400 yards.

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Sprawl

Race: Cybertronian

Birthplace: Thetacon, Cybertron

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Air Assault

Bio: Sprawl is an enigma among the Decepticons. Little is known about him and his past aside from the fact that he is a point one percenter and is an extremely old mech. Sprawl is quiet and rarely associates himself with the other Decepticons, having lived as a wanderer before the war and joined for some explicable reason-a reason that may be tied to Shockwave, who took him in after stumbling across the flyer battling a herd of Dibison. In fact, Sprawl hasn't even really gotten involved with the war at large, doing his own thing that just happens to coincide with Decepticon interests. Sprawl is considered odd to some with his quirks of talking to himself and giving objects or animals unconventional names, but no one can say that he isn't a powerful warrior and an intelligent strategist.

Abilities: Sprawl has above average strength, durability and endurance. His robotic frame is large and highly dense, able to even withstand two or three direct hits from Megatron's fusion cannon. His immense strength puts him on par with powerhouses like Grimlock and Ultra Magnus. He is trained in multiple combat forms from close quarters to sword techniques and skilled in ranged weapons. His integrated weapons include a war hammer and a vibro-blade. His jet mode is among the fastest in the Decepticon aerospace corps and is armed with heat seeking missiles that spontaneously regenerate approx. five minutes after use-faster than the normal Seeker.

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Venom

Race: Insecticon, Cybertronian

Birthplace: Underworld, Cybertron

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Psychological warfare

Bio: venom undermines his own position as the normal Insecticon alpha by ostracizing himself from the others. He fears that allowing anyone too close to him would open him up to blackmail or make him vulnerable to attack. While he's not entirely wrong-Decepticons like Kickback live for such opportunities-this attitude also makes it impossible for him to establish his control over the group. Venom knows that he's the most qualified leader in terms of experience, but he particularly fears Barrage as a potential threat to his command.

Abilities: Venom is incredibly intelligent and skilled. He is an expert in psychology and tactics, though he is less skilled in the cognitive realm than Bombshell. In his beast mode, he can fly at 15 mph for 300 miles. His stinger is capable of punching through up to a ¼ inch of steel but can break off in some stronger metals. Once inserted, the stinger can pump any number of toxins into its target, from corrosive cid that can dissolve a cybertronian's innards to powerful neurotoxins that affect organic life forms. In robot mode, he wields an electro-blaster rifle and an energo-scythe.

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Carnage

Race: Insecticon, cybertronian

Birthplace: Underworld, Cybertron

Faction: Decepticons

Occupation: Warrior

Bio: carnage hungers for nothing less than total destruction. His arrogant swagger and battle lust are unmatched among the terran Insecticons, who admire his direct attitude. When hunting down a target in battle, it appears that he is completely blind to the volume of collateral damage he causes, and ruined wildlife. Far from blind, Carnage is well aware of the damage he causes to the surrounding environment. He just doesn't care.

Abilities: Carnage has extreme physical strength and endurance. In beast mode, he can leap a distance over 200 times his size. A powerful kick from his rear legs can shatter steel and their vibration when rubbed together can cause stone walls to disintegrate. His antenna can generate 80,000 volts of electricity. In robot mode, he wields a concussion blaster and a shield.

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Chop Shop

Race: Insecticon, cybertronian

Birthplace: Underworld, Cybertron

Faction: Decepticons

Occupation: Thief

Bio: Chop Shop is so sly and skilled that his comrades still haven't recognized his secret. Regularly finding their possessions ransacked, his Insecticon brothers accuse each other of thievery, while Chop Shop stands back and watches the chaos unfold, laughing on the inside. He's the unrepentant kleptomaniac responsible. The other Insecticons don't suspect him because he's even compelled to take his own stuff, so it looks like he was victimized too! He always has to come up with new excuses on the fly for why he's later found using someone else's missing rifle or consuming their energon, but the thrill of getting caught only makes it that much more exciting for Chop Shop. The greater the challenge of getting something, the more greedy and daring Chop Shop wants to take it for himself.

Abilities: Chop Shop has great intelligence and above average strength that allows him to carry up to 30 tons. He is the most skilled thief of his hive, and is an expert at infiltration and bypassing security systems. In beast mode, he flies at speeds up to 30 mph thanks to his dual jets. His razor-sharp pincers can slice through steel, and he has two precision lasers in his mouth. In robot mode, he carries a photon cannon and a disruption spear that can short out most security devices.

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Barrage

Race: Insecticon, cybertronian

Birthplace: Underworld, Cybertron

Faction: Decepticon

Occupation: Gunner

Bio: When Barrage is deployed onto the battlefield, the other Insecticons warily step back and let him go to work. Barrage is a merciless warrior who keeps firing long after the battle has been on militarily. When resistance crumbles and the enemy starts to retreat, he'll shoot fleeing forces in the back and then start picking off any wounded soldiers left behind on the battlefield. Once there are no survivors, he'll keep his onslaught going until the landscape itself if charred and ruined. Barrage knows no fear, and kindness itself is an alien concept to him. He does everything in his power to crush any glimmer of hope his foes may have, and he expects the same from everyone around him; he once shot one of his drones for requesting an extra ration of energon. Unsurprisingly, Barrage is not very popular with his alpha brothers.

Abilities: Barrage is highly skilled gunner and adequate sniper. In beat mode, he can fire non-stop explosive energy bolts from his multiple gun mounts. His antenna can shoot powerful photon blasts. In this mode, he can fly at 15 mph for approximately 400 miles. In robot mode, he wields an energo-sword and a sonic machine gun that shoots rapid fire burst of concentrated sound.

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 **I have no other excuse for bringing this out so late other than laziness. I was busy with Escalation at the time and this got put on the backburner. Also, the next chapter for Distant Stars is going to take a bit to finish, so chances are that Defiance will be updated next. Despite this, thanks for reading and please leave a review.**


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